Trump’s Drug Pricing Policies Face Skepticism Amid Potential Tariff Impacts
President Donald Trump's aggressive push to lower pharmaceutical prices through a series of executive actions is drawing scrutiny from economists and industry experts. The latest move—a deal with Pfizer to align Medicaid prices with international benchmarks—may be undermined by proposed 100% tariffs on drug imports, which could inflate costs for generics and domestically produced medications.
The agreement, touted as a model for future manufacturer negotiations, includes discounted direct-to-consumer sales via Trumprx.gov by 2026. Yet critics argue such measures fail to address structural inefficiencies in U.S. drug pricing, where medications often cost multiples of their European counterparts.