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Just yesterday we posted commentary on the Merck and Schering-Plough scandal, in which those with medical insurance were duped into paying for Vytorin instead of a low-cost generic that is just as effective.

Now it looks like Merck is at it again, as Bloomberg.com reveals that Merck & Co. "conducted its own studies on the pain pill Vioxx, then hired companies to ghostwrite reports for medical journals that appeared under the names of scientists who didn't do the majority of the research."

By fixing the results of their own prescription drug studies, Merck was able to keep Vioxx on the market, at expensive prices that those with or without medical insurance had to pay out of pocket, while data revealing increased risk of death from Vioxx in patients with Alzheimer's disease was downplayed.

Of course, Merck says it isn't so, but the data seems to be pretty clear. And, as we've also seen recently with their concurrent Vytorin scandal, the health of the consumer matters a lot less to these companies than access to their pocketbook.

This is why we've said it before, and we'll say it again - make sure your medical insurance policy offers generics, and ask for them whenever possible. If you're in the market for medical insurance, ask about generic drug plans. These drugs have been on the market for a much longer time, and are far less likely to cause negative health problems for the general public.