Trump Promises, Pharma Profits: Still Crushing Americans
The Independent highlights that Trump's 'tough talk' on lowering drug costs apparently didn't translate to, you know, lower drug costs. Pfizer, Merck, BMS – all raising prices. This isn't a new phenomenon; former President Trump himself saw 789 list price increases in 2017 alone, according to RX Savings Solutions data, after promising he’d be the one to fix it. Each administration, Democrat or
Republican, wrings its hands while pharmaceutical giants continue to price gouge with impunity. It appears the only thing 'pressured' is the typical American household budget. When politicians take millions in lobbying dollars from groups like PhRMA (which spent approximately $98.1 million on lobbying in 2023, per OpenSecrets.org), this 'pressure' starts to look less like a challenge and more like
a gentle suggestion to keep the profit margins robust. How many 'tough' statements does it take before we acknowledge the whole system is designed to enrich, not heal?