As the ire over high prescription drug prices in the United States escalates, it’s easy to blame pharmaceutical companies. But pharmaceutical companies aren’t to blame. They’ve executed well on the rules set by the U.S. government as well as the “make the most money” dictum set by their stockholders. Over the last five years, returns for the S&P Pharmaceuticals Select Industry Index have been virtually double that of the S&P 500 (roughly 24% vs. 12% annually).