For decades, Americans have been fleeced by the medical cartel, specifically Big Pharma, which charges the highest drug prices in the world. The United States pays nearly three times more for prescription drugs than other wealthy nations, with the average American spending over $1,400 annually on medications. A 2024 report from the Health and Human Services Department confirms that U.S. drug prices dwarf those in 33 comparable countries, with some medications costing up to 10 times more than in Canada or Europe. This isn’t a new phenomenon—it’s a deliberate, entrenched system fueled by unchecked corporate greed and political complicity.
Big Pharma’s price gouging has deep roots. Since the 1980s, deregulation and lax oversight have allowed pharmaceutical giants to set prices without meaningful constraints. Unlike other developed nations, where governments negotiate drug prices, the U.S. leaves pricing to market forces, which Pharma exploits ruthlessly. For example, insulin prices have skyrocketed by over 1,200% since 2000, despite being around for decades. Companies like Pfizer, Merck, and Eli Lilly justify these hikes by citing research and development costs, but studies reveal they spend more on marketing and stock buybacks than innovation. In 2023 alone, the top 10 drugmakers spent $120 billion on shareholder payouts while Americans struggled to afford life-saving drugs.
The root of this crisis lies in Big Pharma’s unparalleled influence over Washington. The industry spends more on lobbying than any other sector, shelling out $387 million in 2024, according to OpenSecrets. With roughly one lobbyist for every member of Congress, Pharma’s reach is staggering. These lobbyists wine and dine politicians, fund campaigns, and draft legislation to protect their profits. Both sides of the aisle are complicit—Democrats and Republicans alike have taken millions in donations. For instance, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) have each received over $1 million from Pharma over their careers. This bipartisan buy-in ensures that meaningful reform, like price caps or Medicare negotiation, is consistently stalled.
Enter President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who have vowed to dismantle this cartel. On May 12, 2025, Trump announced an executive order to tie U.S. drug prices to those in other developed nations, aiming to make American drugs the cheapest in the world. The policy targets Medicaid and Medicare, slashing prices by 50% to 90% for some medications. RFK Jr., a longtime critic of Pharma’s excesses, echoed this on social media, declaring, “Americans pay three times more for prescription drugs than patients in other wealthy countries. That ends now.” Their “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative seeks to curb Pharma’s profiteering, ban direct-to-consumer drug ads, and empower HHS to negotiate prices directly.
But the resistance will be fierce. Big Pharma, which spent $377 million on lobbying in 2022 alone, is already mobilizing. Industry groups like PhRMA are crying foul, claiming price controls will stifle innovation. Behind closed doors, bought politicians—particularly crooked Democrats fearful of losing campaign funds—are reportedly plotting to derail the plan. Posts on X suggest Democrats are leaning on lawfare, a tactic of using legal challenges to obstruct policy. A federal judge, possibly one with ties to Pharma-friendly donors, could issue an injunction to block Trump’s order, keeping the industry’s hands clean. This mirrors past efforts, like when a federal judge halted Trump’s 2019 drug pricing transparency rule after Pharma’s legal pushback.
The stakes are high. If Trump and RFK Jr. succeed, Americans could save billions annually, and chronic disease sufferers might finally afford their medications. But if Pharma’s lobbyists and their political allies prevail, the cartel will continue to bleed Americans dry. Citizens can fight back by amplifying the MAHA message on platforms like X, contacting Congress to demand support for price reforms, and exposing politicians who prioritize Pharma’s checks over public health. This battle isn’t just about drugs—it’s about reclaiming a system that’s been rigged against the people for far too long.
Links:
- The Guardian: Trump Signs Order to Slash Drug Prices
- CNBC: Trump to Sign Most Favored Nation Drug Pricing Order
- USA Today: RFK Jr. and Bernie Sanders on Trump’s Drug Plan
- The Hill: Pharma’s $387M Lobbying in 2024
- Instagram: RFK Jr. on U.S. Drug Prices
- X Post: Pharma’s Lobbying Resistance
- X Post: Trump Takes on Pharma Lobby
