Comment
Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
The price of over-the-counter pain medicines, antibiotics, and supplements may spike following the new tariffs on imports from China. The Trump Administration's 10% tariff on all Chinese imports took effect on Feb. 4. Many unknowns remain, but Americans will likely feel the effects of these tariffs at the pharmacy. “It’s going to hurt because a lot of this is going to affect generic drugs. Our generic drug infrastructure in the United States has been deteriorating for many decades, and much of it has gone overseas,” Jamie Alan, RPh, PharmD, PhD, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, told Verywell. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 91% of all U.S. prescriptions are filled with generics, which have the same active ingredients as name brands but typically cost less. “Our generic prices are going to skyrocket. People can’t afford their medications already, and we don’t have the infrastructure to pick up more manufacturing here in the U.S.,” Alan said. Most facilities that make drug ingredients for U.S. pharmaceuticals are located in other countries—including at least 13% in China—according to a 2019 FDA statement. The FDA did not respond to Verywell’s request for comment regarding the current percentage of active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturers based overseas. Many of the drug ingredients manufactured abroad—like ibuprofen and acetaminophen—show up in a variety of medications. Acetaminophen is found in over 600 medications, including Tylenol, some Alka-Seltzer products, NyQuil, and Excedrin. Ibuprofen is in Advil and Motrin. “China really has a big hold on this, and I think it’s going to get nasty,” Alan said. What About the Tariffs on Canada and Mexico? In addition to the 10% tariffs on Chinese imports, the Trump Administration also announced 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada. However, after discussions with Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the North American tariffs were delayed a month. Tariffs on Mexico and Canada could affect the price and availability of additional medications and medical devices. A 2022 report from PharmacyChecker showed that while China held the top spot, Mexico and Canada were the third and fourth largest suppliers of pharmaceutical products to the U.S. “Tariffs act as a tax on imported goods, and when these are imposed on critical supply chain components—such as pharmaceutical ingredients, packaging materials, and finished products—they lead to price increases that eventually reach consumers,” said Stanley Lim, PhD, an
Add Comment