Trump to sign order reducing US prescription drug prices

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would sign an executive order to cut prescription prices to the level paid by other high-income countries, an amount he put at 30 per cent to 80 per cent less.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he would sign the executive order bringing the new policy into effect at 9am on Monday to pursue what is known as “most favoured nation” pricing or international reference pricing.

The US pays the most in the world for many prescription drugs, often nearly triple that of other developed nations. Trump has said he wants to close that spread, but has not publicly specified how and did not provide details in his post.

“They will rise throughout the World in order to equalize and, for the first time in many years, bring FAIRNESS TO AMERICA!” he said.

“I will be instituting a MOST FAVORED NATION’S POLICY whereby the United States will pay the same price as the Nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World,” Trump added.

Drug makers have been expecting an order that would focus on the Medicare health insurance programme, according to four drug industry lobbyists who said they had been briefed by the White House. Reuters previously reported such a policy was under consideration.