During the debate, Trump said he’s ‘cutting drug prices.’ He’s not.
Amid the chaos of the first presidential debate, President
Trump touted his record on a critical issue formany, including my patients— the exorbitant prices of prescription drugs. According to a 2019 national survey, about a quarter of Americans had difficulty affording their medicines. Almost one-third ofU.S. adults also reported medication rationing, often skipping doses or taking less because of high prices. COVID-19 has compounded this dire situation, as lostwages and unemployment have forced patients like mine to choose between medicine and groceries.
During the debate, PresidentTrump claimed that he’s “cutting drug prices.” But this is just false. Arecent study found that since 2014, prescription drug prices have risen by 33%, far outpacing the rise in other healthcare services and products. The measures he bragged about on the debate stage to help Americans affordably access their prescriptions are wishful at best.
Trump proudly spoke of a recently releasedExecutiveOrder thatwould peg drug prices forMedicare recipients to a “mostfavored nation-price”— or the lowest price that a drug is sold in developed countries. This policy is unlikely to do much, especially not lowering drug prices by the “80 or 90%” he insists. Instead, such an order could actually lead to higher prices in other developed countries. And itwould exclude the majority of American patients – over150 million – not covered byMedicare.
PresidentTrump also spread misinformation on insulin, a widely used diabetes medication by both children and adults. He stated that he’s “getting it for so cheap; it’s likewater.” But unless thewater is mixed with gold flakes or diamonds, this just isn’t so.
Currently, the average price of a single vial or pen of insulin ranges between $80 to $2000. Even after insurance, out-of-pocket payments for a single vial can be almost $100, leadingmany to ration their doses. Not exactlywater. The president’s other rule to limit co-pays for insulin to $35would only apply to a narrowgroup ofMedicare recipientswhohave a participating, more costly plan.
Contrary to our president’s statements, the cost of insulin has tripled in the last decade and continued to rise since President Trumptook office. This increase should come as no surprise, given he appointed Alex Azar, the former president of a major insulin manufacturer, as his Secretary ofHealth and HumanServices. During his time at Eli Lilly USA, Azar oversawsignificant price hikes— more than triple— of its insulin products.
The president also declared that hewould “allowour governors nowto go to other countries to buy drugs.” However, as other legal and public health experts have pointed out, this policywould not only be illegal, but also place burdens on state governments to establish complex programs that justify the need for parallel importation. Florida, which passed legislation over a year ago allowing procurement of drugs fromCanada, has yet to receive federal approval to proceed forward.
If PresidentTrumpwas actually serious about addressing prescription drug prices, he would have made true on his promises from the 2016 campaign trail to “negotiate like crazy” with pharmaceutical companies. Negotiating is howmany other countries have successfully procured lifesaving medicines at fractions of the pricesmy patients face in theUnited States.
Instead of real change, ahead of an election, the president threwaHailMary, announcing his plan to give paltry prescription gift cards to seniors— cards that barely scratch the surface of their out-of-pocket costs. While touting these halfway measures, millions more continue to face cost barriers to drugs they need, worsened by losing their health care coverage, their livelihoods, and their loved ones as a result of the president’s inaction onCOVID-19.
With his own coronavirus infection, the presidentwas admitted toWalterReed MilitaryMedical Center, where he could receive the best care possible— including access to an experimental treatment and remdesivir, priced at over $3000 per course. Unfortunately, because of our president’s weak efforts, my patientswon’t be able to afford the same medicines and treatments. Our patients deserve the same access to potentially lifesaving medicines as the president does. Now, more than ever, we need a leaderwhowill actually take action to ensure affordable access to prescription drugs rather than make empty promises.