Drug Prices: Trump's Promises vs. Reality

President Donald Trump has been vocal about lowering drug prices. He has signed orders, sent letters, and even started a trade war. Yet, Americans still pay a lot for medicines. The gap between his words and actions is wide. Trump's team has talked about many ideas. They want to link U. S. drug prices to those in other countries. They also want to import cheaper drugs from Canada. But these ideas are not working. Experts doubt if these plans will lower costs. One of Trump's main ideas is the "most favored nation" policy. It ties U. S. drug prices to the lowest price in other countries. But drug companies can manipulate this. They can raise prices in other countries to avoid lowering prices in the U. S. Critics also say this policy is like "socialist price controls. " Trump's team made deals with big drug companies like Pfizer and AstraZeneca. These deals offer some drugs to Medicaid at lower prices. But the details are unclear. Experts say Medicaid already pays the lowest prices by law. So, these deals may not save much money. Trump also wants to import drugs from Canada. But this has been happening for years. The savings for Americans would be very small. Tariffs on drugs from Europe could raise prices. This is because the U. S. imports many important drugs from Europe. Trump's actions on drug prices are not working. He needs a better plan. He should offer incentives to drug companies to make medicines in the U. S. He should also reform the middlemen who manage drug benefits. Finally, he should expand a program that lets Medicare negotiate lower drug prices. For now, Americans should be careful. Trump's promises on drug prices are not matching reality. Real change is possible. But it needs real action, not just talk.