We use pharmaceutical drugs every day to heal infections, treat cancers and relieve pain. But if President Donald Trump has his way, these largely foreign-made drugs would be targeted with tariffs, potentially causing unexpected shortages and making your doctor’s visit look much different in the future, experts say.
Erin Fox, a drug shortages expert at University of Utah Health, said a major tariff could cause companies to discontinue production of low-cost, low-margin drugs like the ingredients in epidurals, as one example. She said patients could end up receiving alternative medicines because the hospital has a shortage of certain pharmaceutical drugs.
“Maybe everybody doesn’t get an epidural,” she said. “We may be going back in time there.“
So far, pharmaceutical drugs have been one of the few exceptions from Trump’s ongoing trade war against the world. They were left out of Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement in April to impose exorbitant levies on imports from foreign nations. But this reprieve may not be for much longer.
Since taking office again, Trump has repeatedly said that he believes using tariffs on pharmaceuticals can pressure drugmakers to move their manufacturing back to the U.S.
