Jay,
You are absolutely right - it is simply a matter of cost that a higher quality medication is not offered to everyone. Apart from the more user-friendly aspects of SR, its action also lasts for 12 hours instead of the 6 hours of standard metformin/Glucophage. And just for information I have been on Glucophage SR for over 2 years, so do know the product well and since I joined the forum have been advising all those who report problems with standard metformin to ask their GPs to switch them to SR.
My point was that telling thousands of readers that the medicine they are taking is "evil" is not exactly going to help them, when in most cases they will be getting along fine with it. Yes there are many, like yourself, who have had problems with it, but there are many times more that have no problem whatsoever, so why get them confused and worried.