Anecdotal evidence….from the doctor side…

Every time I go to my doctor, they prescribe me a pill or tell me something that doesn't work rather than suggesting what will actually work.

For kidney stones, he said "drink more water" - which didn't solve the issue at all. I've solved the issue now by other methods.

For acid reflux, he gave me a pill. I've solved that by other methods. Neither time did the pill "solve" the problem, it just masked or hid it. Didn't solve the root cause of the problem.

That (and other reasons) is why people are so sick of big pharma. The wares they peddle many times don't solve the issue. Obviously, not all drugs are like that.

There may be some meds that this works for, but I feel like this is a ploy to distract from how much money these tariffs are going to take from us. I take so many generic meds for 1.27 a month, It's really not an issue for me.

If he wanted to make some changes he needs to get medical billing under control, that is outrageous, also add IVF to things that need to be covered by insurance. Not medicaid or any government assistance but private insurance needs to start covering issues like this.

The bulk of what Big Pharma creates and manufactures is absolute trash and horrible for your body. Their system has created addicts abound and is little more than legal drug dealing. Continual treatment versus prevention is the name of the game with Big Pharma and the U.S. medical system, and people are willing to pay the price (whether out of pocket or through premiums) because they "need" the drugs. Between masking symptoms and creating side effects for which more pharmaceuticals are prescribed, Big Pharma is churning and burning, hand over fist. My disdain for price controls runs a very distant second to my enormous distaste for the pharmaceutical industry.

flyrancher said:

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Too many folks getting triggered by their emotional response to words they hate or fear. Forget the details.

This all comes down to America first versus Globalism. The globalists all want the US in the same sewer as the rest of the world. Their elite virtue signaling requires us to destroy our nation and lower our public to the serf level experienced by people in other countries. But the elites desiring that outcome won't have to exist at that serfdom level.

Their plan to ensure that happens, is to continually create policy that steals money from the US and gives it to other countries. Every policy supported by liberals does that simple thing. Take from American Main Street and give to every foreign country. Unfortunately it never helps their populous because it always gets shortstopped by the corrupt government officials. That is why liberals created the UN, a globalist's wet dream. Have you noticed that liberals favor anything the UN can possibly do to control Trumps actions?

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So do you approve of Trump sticking it to Big Pharma?

Quote:

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We pay premium prices on medications because big pharma says we can.

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FIFY

We pay premium prices on medications because big pharma says we can, and insurance companies acquiesce to charge higher premiums.

Quote:

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The bulk of what Big Pharma creates and manufactures is absolute trash and horrible for your body

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Disagree.

The left should love Trump. He does all the things they want. And even better, he gets unquestioned MAGA buy for it.

A purely free market capitalism approach to pharmaceuticals is currently impractical if not impossible. We can't buy meds on the free market when prescriptions can't be filled from other countries where prices are cheaper. We can't buy generics when patents protect the original formulations for decades. Even requiring prescriptions on certain classifications of medications distorts the market.

I'm not saying anything about whether these market interventions are good or bad but they definitely distort the market, and leads to the current situation where purely market driven responses simply won't work

Where does this fallacy that companies have to charge everyone the same come from? That's not remotely true, and no other industry does that.

Jeeper79 said:

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The left should love Trump. He does all the things they want. And even better, he gets unquestioned MAGA buy for it.

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There hasn't been much, regarding policy, that I've disagreed with Trump this term and I'm the furthest thing from maga there is.

Ags4DaWin said:

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KillerAg21 said:

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It by definition is not free market capitalism. Having the government tell the free market how it can sell its products and for how much is inherently a left policy.

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Nope. Telling a monopoly it cannot selectively screw a certain class of customer (US consumers) prevents monopolistic style price controls.

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You can't point at the whole population and call it a class. But watching you contort yourself into believing this isn't price controls is entertaining.

Average Joe said:

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Where does this fallacy that companies have to charge everyone the same come from? That's not remotely true, and no other industry does that.

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There is nothing free market about the drug industry. Other countries set the prices their citizens pay. We end up subsidizing them. It's time for that to end!

Jeeper79 said:

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Ags4DaWin said:

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KillerAg21 said:

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It by definition is not free market capitalism. Having the government tell the free market how it can sell its products and for how much is inherently a left policy.

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Nope. Telling a monopoly it cannot selectively screw a certain class of customer (US consumers) prevents monopolistic style price controls.

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You can't point at the whole population and call it a class. But watching you contort yourself into believing this isn't price controls is entertaining.

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Why not?

Since when have libs advocated for free markets?

What would you do to fix this issue?

Eso si, Que es said:

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80/20 propositions are the best, can't wait to see idiots contort themselves to defend big pharma.

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Bernie and Warren have big Phrama donors, so I expect them to be out front on the "resistance"

I don't like Kamala but it wasn't that long ago that she proposed price controls on groceries (another "essential" good) and people here thought it was a bad idea. I guess the messenger matters more than the message.

Our third party payer paradigm is the ultimate culprit in most medical care issues.

When you economically decouple the providers of an economic good from the purchasers of an economic good inefficiency is the result.

No Spin Ag said:

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flyrancher said:

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Too many folks getting triggered by their emotional response to words they hate or fear. Forget the details.

This all comes down to America first versus Globalism. The globalists all want the US in the same sewer as the rest of the world. Their elite virtue signaling requires us to destroy our nation and lower our public to the serf level experienced by people in other countries. But the elites desiring that outcome won't have to exist at that serfdom level.

Their plan to ensure that happens, is to continually create policy that steals money from the US and gives it to other countries. Every policy supported by liberals does that simple thing. Take from American Main Street and give to every foreign country. Unfortunately it never helps their populous because it always gets shortstopped by the corrupt government officials. That is why liberals created the UN, a globalist's wet dream. Have you noticed that liberals favor anything the UN can possibly do to control Trumps actions?

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So do you approve of Trump sticking it to Big Pharma?

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Jeeper79 said:

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I don't like Kamala but it wasn't that long ago that she proposed price controls on groceries (another "essential" good) and people here thought it was a bad idea. I guess the messenger matters more than the message.

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If the grocery stores were charging blacks one price for bread and whites another price, and Kamal said you can charge whatever you want but it must be the same for all races, you might have a point.

Can you explain how this is nothing but "price controls"?

One could argue to an extent that the US gov is a monopsony as a large customer being able to influence price charged by the sellers.

What Trump is doing here is more international trade related than domestic policy. Quit charging the United States many multiples that you charge foreign entities.

Have not seen the text of the EO, but is it requiring Cigna to only pay XYZ for a drug? Or is it any Medicare / Medicaid and similar government purchases or where government funds are involved, then the gov is a customer demanding a fairer price.

No Spin Ag said:

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flyrancher said:

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Too many folks getting triggered by their emotional response to words they hate or fear. Forget the details.

This all comes down to America first versus Globalism. The globalists all want the US in the same sewer as the rest of the world. Their elite virtue signaling requires us to destroy our nation and lower our public to the serf level experienced by people in other countries. But the elites desiring that outcome won't have to exist at that serfdom level.

Their plan to ensure that happens, is to continually create policy that steals money from the US and gives it to other countries. Every policy supported by liberals does that simple thing. Take from American Main Street and give to every foreign country. Unfortunately it never helps their populous because it always gets shortstopped by the corrupt government officials. That is why liberals created the UN, a globalist's wet dream. Have you noticed that liberals favor anything the UN can possibly do to control Trumps actions?

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So do you approve of Trump sticking it to Big Pharma

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I couldn't care less. I just want Americans to get their medicine at the same price as people in other countries.

flyrancher said:

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No Spin Ag said:

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flyrancher said:

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Too many folks getting triggered by their emotional response to words they hate or fear. Forget the details.

This all comes down to America first versus Globalism. The globalists all want the US in the same sewer as the rest of the world. Their elite virtue signaling requires us to destroy our nation and lower our public to the serf level experienced by people in other countries. But the elites desiring that outcome won't have to exist at that serfdom level.

Their plan to ensure that happens, is to continually create policy that steals money from the US and gives it to other countries. Every policy supported by liberals does that simple thing. Take from American Main Street and give to every foreign country. Unfortunately it never helps their populous because it always gets shortstopped by the corrupt government officials. That is why liberals created the UN, a globalist's wet dream. Have you noticed that liberals favor anything the UN can possibly do to control Trumps actions?

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So do you approve of Trump sticking it to Big Pharma

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I couldn't care less. I just want Americans to get their medicine at the same price as people in other countries.

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Ag4life80 said:

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Big pharma wants to treat you, not cure you

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That's why they get their budding future employees from FDA to condemn new, competing drugs. FDA is one of most corrupt of all government agencies

Logos Stick said:

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Average Joe said:

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Where does this fallacy that companies have to charge everyone the same come from? That's not remotely true, and no other industry does that.

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There is nothing free market about the drug industry. Other countries set the prices their citizens pay. We end up subsidizing them. It's time for that to end!

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Yeah, I work for a Fortune 50 cpg and it's interesting what the drug industry is allowed to get away with regarding pricing that we are not. I don't think straight price controls are the answer in any way, but I do think there are some reasonable connections between your pricing here and your pricing abroad that could be implemented. It doesn't have to be the same, but right now they have little incentive to negotiate abroad when they can just gouge the crap out of us here. What we have right now is the antithesis of a free market. If these countries want these drugs, then they need to come to the table with better offers.

KillerAg21 said:

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It by definition is not free market capitalism. Having the government tell the free market how it can sell its products and for how much is inherently a left policy.

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Also not free market capitalism is government not allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for prescriptions. They take billions from Pharma lobbyist and let them set whatever price they want with zero free market in place.

And Trump is not telling them what price to sell. Just like Sam's and Costco, they tell their vendors they want to have the lowest price of all their customers. It's free market when you are the biggest market and command the best price. Just like Sam's and Costco use free market.

Sam's and Costco don't set the price. Their vendors do. They just want the lowest. Free market working perfectly.

I get the TDS REEEEEEEEEEEEE, but Trump understands how the huge market makers use their buying power to it's advantage.

Tom Fox said:

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coconutED said:

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Tom Fox said:

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Then negotiate with those countries.

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You mean like Trump is doing with tariffs? Funny, you didn't like those either...

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You're confusing me with other posters. I had no issue with using tariffs to protect US companies. It will raise prices on consumers because the cost will be passed along to them but I did not care about it. Tariffs have been used against foreigners since our nations inception.

This is doing the opposite. He is targeting US companies and setting their prices based on what they are charging other customers.

It would be the same as telling me that I have to charge every legal client the same rate, which I certainly do not. It is none of the government's business what I charge unless they are contracting my services for themselves and even then they do not get to mandate what I charge, they can obviously take their business elsewhere if they do not like my pricing.

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Except that it was not you who determined that billing rate: certain clients demanded to be charged an unprofitable rate for your services, and you acquiesced, and raised rates for others in order to compensate. Now, those other clients are demanding they get the same deal.

Super! Now the scumbag Pharma CEOs will go down on their knees.

These disgusting people have ripped off Grandma for too long.

Now the question is, will Trump work to make this a law. Politicians have yet to clamp down on the government created monopoly because they are getting billions from Pharma.

Will Trump unleash a media blitz bringing this to the attention of the general public, force the house to create a bill and then push for a vote. Not sure this is on top of his list of priorities, but he could get congress to pass a law and make sure the US's massive market gets the best deals of any country.

Tom Fox said:

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Ag with kids said:

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Logos Stick said:

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I can't wait to see the left defend Big Pharma.

I'm opposed to price controls, but I want something done about **** countries like Canada getting cheap drugs funded by US citizens.

Trump is going to war with drug companies over their pricing in this country. pic.twitter.com/uKx8pTxK4Z

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 11, 2025

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I hate price controls, too.

But this is just making EVERYONE foot the cost instead of just the US.

Getting rid of them using us to subsidize THEIR drugs.

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Then negotiate with those countries. Do not use the power of the government to set price controls for private American businesses.

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I agree. I don't think US price controls is a good idea.

But, how do you get everyone else to stop ****ing us over?

What will happen is pharmaceutical companies will leave the other countries where they can't pay premium for it, so we still pay more since there is no baseline comparison.
The other countries will get knock-off versions of the pharmaceuticals and still pay less.

Pichael Thompson said:

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Why not just remove all the idiotic FDA controls & open up competition?

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Because that's conservative and part of what SHOULD be done.

True story.

A Costco vendor accidently sent an invoice for approx. $20 million that was for Sam's. The Costco rep compared that bill to the one he received. Same volume, same product, but Sam's was exactly $0;01 more. Probably rounding error or something.

Anyway, the Costco canceled the contract with the vendor and won't do business with them any more.

Despite the REEEEEEEing, what Costco did is not price controls. That's using the size of their purchasing power to ENSURE they get the best pricing. Vendor can charge what they want for a product, but the best price goes to the largest buyer.

That is exactly what Trump is setting up. Large market, lower price. That is exactly supply and demand market pricing. Now, where Pharma may have an issue is with other countries that DO have price controls. Now, the US doesn't have to pay for these socialist countries. For most, that is a good thing. But the TDS still goes REEEEEEEEEEE.

Ag4life80 said:

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Big pharma wants to treat you, not cure you

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Not true.

B-1 83 said:

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Ag4life80 said:

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Big pharma wants to treat you, not cure you

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Horse&$#@ talking point that sounds so…………..edgy. If you think there's no money in cures for diseases, think again.

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This. Only uneducated, cynical people feel this way.

KillerAg21 said:

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Wow Trump is turning into a socialist commie. I wonder how MAGA is going to conform itself to being for free market capitalism yet rooting for socialist polices like this.

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Poster Doesn't know what free market means

BigRobSA said:

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Pichael Thompson said:

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Why not just remove all the idiotic FDA controls & open up competition?

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Because that's conservative and part of what SHOULD be done.

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There is this little thing called Medicare that controls the market. There are too many that get paid to vote against Medicare trying to negotiate drug prices. So, Trump says **** it. He will use our market to get us the lowest price on prescriptions.