Pharma as a Public Utility?

Truthout asks if Pharma should be treated as a public utility. My comment:

No. The value of pharma is information (drug patents) which are already regulated. Making them public utilities just adds another layer of regulation over existing regulation. Drug prices are high because pharma has 'bought' influence over current regulations; they are more than capable of 'buying' any new regulators/regulations. The better solution is to publicly fund all drug research and have the information publicly available. Any manufacturer with the appropriate facilities can then make any drugs. Ensure high quality manufacturing practices can be insured by requiring that the public can observe/visit/examine facilities at any time. Transparency is a better way to drop drug prices without risking safety.