Missourians simply cannot afford their prescription drugs. More than one in four have skipped doses or split pills to make prescriptions last longer. Over half worry they won’t be able to afford their medications in the future. That’s not a trivial problem. That’s a public health crisis – and it’s getting worse.
President Trump understands this. That’s why he recently signed an executive order aimed at lowering prescription drug prices through a policy that would bring U.S. prices in line with prices paid in other high-income countries. It’s a promising step, but it must be done right.
If lawmakers want to deliver real relief to Missouri families, they have to follow Trump’s lead and back up his executive order with strong, specific, and enforceable legislation. That means action from Missouri’s own senator Josh Hawley, recently introduced a bipartisan bill that is built around this “Most Favored Nation” concept — an idea that would prevent drug companies from charging Americans more than patients in other nations for the same medicines. This is a real, patient-first policy, and more Senate Republicans should get behind it. That said, any MFN policy must be airtight. That means defining how prices are set, how manufacturers are held accountable, and how the savings actually reach patients. Otherwise, we risk giving the pharmaceutical industry another loophole to exploit — and another win at patients’ expense.
Beyond MFN, there are clear areas where Congress can take immediate action to bring down drug prices:
First, expand Medicare drug price negotiations. Right now, Medicare – the government’s largest health program – is limited in its ability to use its purchasing power to get better deals for the American taxpayer and patients. Even the limited negotiations that Medicare can make with pharmaceutical companies are projected to save Medicare $6 billion in 2026 alone. More negotiation would bring prices down for millions of Americans and save taxpayers even more. Trump called for it, and Dr. Oz at CMS supports it, as do the majority of Americans. Congress should build on this progress and give Medicare the authority to negotiate lower prices for more drugs, more quickly.
Second, our senators should support legislation speeding up access to generics and biosimilars. Drug companies routinely use patent loopholes and lawsuits to block lower-cost alternatives. That includes “pay-for-delay” deals, or secret agreements where brand-name drug companies pay generic manufacturers to stay off the market. That’s right… Big Pharma literally pays its competition to disappear. According to the FTC, these shady deals cost Americans billions each year. These aren’t business tactics. They’re stall tactics. They keep competition out and prices up. Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah recently introduced the Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act to cut down on delays in placing generics and biosimilars on the market. It’s a smart, conservative reform that will help lower drug prices. Other Republicans like Hawley and Schmitt should join him.
President Trump has put Big Pharma on notice. But real accountability won’t come from an executive order alone. That means passing legislation that backs up Trump’s commitment with the details patients need and the enforcement mechanisms that drug companies can’t ignore.
Lowering drug prices shouldn’t be a partisan issue. It should be a common-sense promise: that no American should have to skip medication, go into debt, or travel to another country just to afford the prescription drugs they need. Trump has laid down the marker. Now it’s time for Congress, and Missouri’s senators, to get it done.
Vinnie Clubb is a Republican activist and proud husband and father. He resides in Wayne County with his family.
