The S.C. House last week hit upon a great way to fight the high prescription prices that vex so many S.C. seniors of modest means: the power of pooling. It's hard to imagine a more necessary legislative initiative.

Many older South Carolinians lack the income to comfortably pay retail rates for their medications but are too "wealthy" to qualify for prescription help under Medicaid. Some may take half doses to extend their prescriptions while others may scrimp on food or utility bills. These good folks are frequent patrons of Web sites selling prescriptions under the low-cost Canadian national health plan.

At the behest of S.C. Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, the House proposes creating a prescription-buying club. The idea, brainchild of the S.C. Silver Haired Legislature, is that folks 65 and older would sign up to be part of a pool, at $10 to $25 per year. Then, the state would negotiate with pharmaceutical companies in members' behalf. If legislators, as they should, combine this plan with Gov. Mark Sanford's buying-pool approach for prescriptions for South Carolinians who quality for Medicaid, state leverage against high drug costs would be even more formidable.

The plan is part of a bill that reforms S.C. health care programs to stretch state tax dollars while leveraging more federal Medicaid money. It moves now to the Senate, which may dismantle parts of the bill - for instance, the House's decision to re-refinance tobacco bonds to meet Medicaid costs in fiscal 2004.

Regardless of what becomes of the reform bill's other components, Clemmons' pooling plan deserves to survive. The good news there is that Sen. Dick Elliott, D-North Myrtle Beach, also is pushing for passage of a pooling bill.

S.C. seniors need to push their legislators to resist pharmaceutical lobbying aimed at depriving them of marketing leverage. If reminded constantly where their best political interests lie, S.C. legislators can be counted upon to do the right thing for the home folks.