Did lawmakers bow to Big Pharma's bucks?

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/05/21/online.drugs/art.mail.order.drugs.03.cnn.jpg caption="The pharmaceutical and health products industry is the year's top industry, in terms of lobbying dollars spent."]

Center for Responsive Politics

How much did drug makers spend to lobby the federal government? The pharmaceutical and health products industry is the year's top industry, in terms of lobbying dollars spent.

Take a look at a list of lobbyist spending, by sector.

And read more about how Big Pharma may have played a role in killing a proposal that allows pharmacies and wholesalers to import U.S.-approved medication from Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, where drug costs are far lower because of price controls.