A recent poll released by the Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance (PRA) found that a majority of Americans approve of President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at lowering drug prices for pharmaceutical companies.
President Trump issued the order in mid-May, arguing that other countries have drastically lower drug prices because their governments are the single buyers and sellers of products. As a result, Trump's executive order aims to force pharmaceuticals to raise their prices in other countries by capping the permitted price of drugs sold in the US at the cost of the country with the lowest price for drugs.
Ideally, drug prices would decline 30 to 80% as a result of this plan.
Despite some criticism from Republicans, such as former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, the PRA found that most Americans expressed support for the order.
After all, 86% of respondents said they know someone who is on prescription medication, and 85% said medications are getting more expensive, which 84% blame the pharmaceutical companies for.
78% of respondents expressed favorability with Trump's May executive order, including 61% of Democrats and 59% of Kamala Harris voters.
Other aspects of the poll found that 89% of Americans want pharmaceutical advertisements to disclose the prices of products or, at the very least, restrict the pharmaceutical companies' ability to advertise altogether.
90% of respondents did not want Congressional candidates to take money from "Big Pharma," while 86% said they would favor a candidate in line with reducing the price of pharmaceuticals.
"Americans are speaking loudly and clearly, so it's important for Congress to listen: the time to join President Trump in lowering prescription drug costs is NOW," said PRA spokesman J.D. Hayworth, adding, " From coast to coast, the American people are suffering from high prescription costs, and they rightly blame Big Pharma. Simply stated, it's time for Big Pharma to put America first…not last."
