Executive orders to manage drug prices

NPR reported that the president signed executive orders to manage drug prices, a sore point for many for several years. Apparently, the most notable executive order was one requiring Medicare to pay the same prices on drugs received in hospitals as other countries pay. However, it is unclear whether that executive order will take effect, given that the president seems to be using it as a threat to convince pharmaceutical companies to come up with a more palatable alternative.

Another of the executive orders allow certain prescription drugs to be imported from Canada. The impact of that executive order will depend greatly on how broad the list of drugs that can be imported will be, and whether Canada welcomes exporting such drugs.