Washington, May 12 (HS): Medications in the United States are set to become more affordable, with prices potentially dropping by up to 30 percent. President Donald Trump announced his decision to sign an executive order aimed at reducing the costs of prescribed and pharmaceutical products during a statement on Truth Social. He plans to sign the order on Monday, which will result in immediate price reductions. Trump has noted that U.S. drug prices are often significantly higher than those in other countries, sometimes up to ten times more expensive for similar medications. He highlighted that pharmaceutical companies frequently cite research and manufacturing costs as justifications for these high prices.

The executive order will direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to link medication reimbursement rates in doctors’ offices to the lowest prices paid by other nations, implementing a most favored nation policy. This move is expected to decrease healthcare costs for American citizens. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who served as Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration, indicated that similar discussions were underway with pharmaceutical companies, particularly regarding the pricing of diabetes medications like Ozempic. Trump claims that the initiative could save the government trillions of dollars and benefit the nearly 70 million Americans covered by Medicare.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar