Don't Fall for Trump's Drug Price Fix, It's a Dangerous Distraction From Real Reform

On May 12, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order promising to slash prescription drug prices. The plan aims to align what Americans pay with the lowest costs in other wealthy nations. At first glance, it feels like a lifeline for families crushed by medical bills. But look closer, and the cracks appear. This approach, though well-intentioned, risks harming the very patients it seeks to protect. As someone who believes healthcare is a right, I see this as a misstep when we need transformative change.

The order pushes 'most-favored-nation' pricing, tying Medicare and Medicaid drug costs to the cheapest rates abroad. It also directs the Commerce Department to tackle foreign practices blamed for US price spikes. Yet this sidesteps a glaring truth: drug companies set exorbitant prices because our system allows it. One in four Americans skips medications due to cost. Tying prices to other countries won’t fix the root issue—it just shifts the problem.

Why should you care? Drug prices shape lives. They decide whether a teacher can afford asthma meds or a grandparent can manage heart disease. Trump’s plan might promise savings, but its simplistic fix could choke innovation, leaving us with fewer new treatments. We need solutions that balance affordability with progress, not quick headlines.

Linking US drug costs to nations like Canada, where prices are 30% to 60% lower, sounds promising. But those countries achieve savings through aggressive government negotiation and price caps—tools the US only recently adopted via the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. That law empowers Medicare to negotiate high-cost drug prices, projecting $100 billion in savings over ten years. Trump’s order, however, risks derailing this by imposing a rigid international benchmark that could disrupt drug supplies and deter companies from launching new therapies here.

Evidence supports this concern. European nations using international reference pricing often wait longer for new drugs because companies prioritize profitable markets. If the US follows suit without bolstering domestic negotiation, we might face similar delays. Picture a diabetic waiting years for a new insulin because manufacturers skip our market. Does that sound like a fair deal?

Some defend the plan, arguing it stops Americans from subsidizing global drug profits. But this misses the mark. Drugmakers charge more here because our policies let them, not just because of foreign discounts. The answer lies in expanding Medicare’s negotiation to all high-cost drugs and using antitrust laws to stop patent games that block cheaper generics.

Rather than mimicking foreign prices, we should emulate their resolve. Nations like Germany negotiate directly with drugmakers, tie price hikes to inflation, and speed up generic approvals. The US could do the same. Broadening the Inflation Reduction Act to negotiate prices for all costly drugs would deliver widespread relief. State-level price caps, already tested, could save billions. And antitrust action against patent abuses would let biosimilars cut costs by up to 90%.

Past successes prove this approach works. Since 1992, the 340B Drug Pricing Program has secured deep discounts for low-income clinics, saving billions. Medicaid’s rebate rules have lowered state costs for decades. Yet Trump’s order leans on a recycled 2020 plan, blocked by courts for overreach. Why rely on a strategy with such a weak foundation when proven tools exist?

Critics, often tied to pharmaceutical interests, warn negotiation stifles innovation. They say lower prices cut research funds. But in 2024, drug companies spent more on ads than R&D, and their profits far outpaced research costs. Specialty drug spending jumped 15% last year with no matching surge in breakthroughs. If innovation matters, let’s tax price-gouging firms and invest in public research, not pad corporate bottom lines.

While leaders debate, patients pay the price. In 2024, 25% of Americans skipped prescriptions because they couldn’t afford them. Insulin costs, even with caps, remain 250% higher than in 2003. The average patient spends $1,200 yearly out-of-pocket on drugs. These numbers reflect real struggles—families choosing between rent and heart meds. Trump’s narrow focus on foreign prices won’t solve this. We need comprehensive reform, not a flashy distraction.

What’s the better path? Immediate relief through parallel importation from Canada, long championed by patient advocates, to deliver cheaper drugs now. Transparency from pharmacy benefit managers, who hike costs while pocketing rebates. And FTC action to end patent schemes delaying generics. These steps, rooted in decades of advocacy, would help patients without threatening innovation.

Trump’s executive order promises relief but delivers a flawed fix. It ignores the core issue: a system that lets drug companies prioritize profits over people. We don’t need to copy other nations’ prices; we need to build a stronger system with bold negotiation, strict price caps, and accountability for drugmakers. The Inflation Reduction Act laid a foundation, but it’s not enough. Let’s expand it to ensure no one faces unaffordable meds.

As citizens, we can demand better. Back leaders who fight for negotiation and patient-first policies, not corporate interests. The struggle for fair drug prices is about ensuring every person can access care without fear of financial ruin. Let’s create a healthcare system that values lives over profits—a system that works for all of us.