Donald Trump promises a drop in drug prices, without explaining how – liberation
A new thunderous announcement, which remains to be translated into acts. Donald Trump said he would sign this Monday, May 12, a decree that, according to him, will reduce prices of prescription drugs in the United States from 30 % to 80 %. « »They will increase worldwide to compensate And, for the first time in many years, bring equity to America !« Said the American president in a message published in the Sunday evening on Its Truth Social network.
His promise of a new health policy must be carried out this Monday morning from 9 am (3 p.m. in France). It would consist in ensuring that « The United States pay the same price as the nation which pays the lowest price in the world« Added the republican billionaire, ensuring that this drop would apply »almost». Even if for the moment, the White House has not given more precision on how this measure will work.
The host of the White House has a long time the pharmaceutical industry to lower the prices of medicines, among the highest in the world and much more expensive than in border countries (Canada and Mexico) and in Europe. According to a study conducted by The Rand Corporation in 2021the United States pays an average of 2.5 times more for prescription drugs than 32 countries, including France. During the presidential campaign opposed to Kamala Harris, Donald Trump had committed to reducing this gap if he was given a winner.
In mid-April, he had already signed a first decree ordering his administration to work on a series of measures to lower the prices of medicines. Among the actions announced: the improvement of the negotiation process between public health insurance and pharmaceutical groups or the possibility offered to states to import drugs directly from foreign countries to lower costs.
Negotiations led by public health insurance over 65, « Medicare », on the prices of certain drugs are long-term processes. Reduced prices negotiated by former president Joe Biden – which also led an offensive in this area – will only take effect until 2026.
From his first mandate (2017-2021), Donald Trump had taken measures to reduce prices, already with the displayed objective of aligning them with those the lowest applied in the world. But this plan had produced little effect in the face of the opposition of the pharmaceutical industry.
Household dissatisfaction with the inflation of the 1920s2-2023 was analyzed as one of the reasons for the re-election of Donald Trump. But its business war policy which has consisted in recent months in increasing customs duties imposed on American imports raises fears of a new price increase.
