The cabal?

A recent NYT oped "How a Cabal Keeps Generics Scarce" again blames drug shortages on GPOs (Group Purchasing Organizations)... "The economic root cause is simple: the purchasing organizations have squeezed manufacturers’ operating margins to razor-thin levels. By awarding select suppliers exclusive contracts in return for exorbitant (and undisclosed) “administrative,” marketing and other fees, they have reduced the number of suppliers to just one or two for many generics..."

An earlier blog entry had poured cold water on the position of PADS (Physicians Against Drug Shortages) on this topic. One has to wonder if the NYT so hard up for content that they need to provide a platform for these conspiracy theorists?  Faugh! Replace "cabal" with "shibboleth", because that's what we have here - a common saying or belief with little current meaning or truth.