On Monday, April 14th, President Trump said he expects to impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals in the near future. This hits close to home as Kansas pharmacy owners are bracing for this as they continue to struggle to stay open. Many independent pharmacies are already struggling to pay for things and costs are already high because PBM’s, or Pharmacy Benefit Managers, aren’t reimbursing enough to cover costs of many medications. Auburn Pharmacy owner, Mike Burns, who owns several local pharmacies, says tariffs would lead to more expensive medications in the short term, but could benefit in the long term.
Many say a tariff on pharmaceuticals could spark a drug shortage. They say if the goal is to bring the drug manufacturing plants to America, that could take several years. Regardless, pharmaceutical tariffs are still likely on the way.
