NCPA Statement on POTUS Executive Order on Most Favored Nation Drug Pricing

Key Takeaways

The NCPA supports efforts to address PBM practices that inflate drug costs, advocating for eliminating PBM middlemen.
Local pharmacists are highlighted as essential healthcare providers, emphasizing their role in accessible healthcare.
The NCPA endorses a transparent, cost-plus payment model for drugs, stressing the importance of patient safety and effectiveness.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (May 12, 2025) – The National Community Pharmacists Association today issued the following statement on behalf of CEO B. Douglas Hoey on President Trump’s executive order reviving Most Favored Nation drug pricing:

“We need to get more details on the president’s executive order as this will take time to sort out due to the complicated nature of drug pricing in this country. However, we applaud any efforts to rein in pharmacy benefit manager practices that increase drug costs. We urge President Trump to continue to focus on PBM middlemen and the way they artificially inflate the price of prescription drugs to pad their pockets. In fact, it is not a coincidence that the United States pays more for drugs than any other country, and we are the only country in the world in which PBMs are hired to control drug prices. We believe those two facts are directly related. The president correctly pointed out that PBMs are the only link in the supply chain that produces nothing of value for patients. They don’t research, develop, or manufacture life-saving drugs. They don’t diagnose, treat, or counsel patients. They aren’t an access point for life saving drugs and related health care needs that are embedded in their local communities.

“We support a system that cuts out the PBM middlemen, where patients can access lower drug prices via essential local pharmacists, who are the medication experts on the health care team. However, no part of this effort should bypass patient safety and effectiveness by going around the pharmacist. Moving towards a more transparent, cost-plus payment model for drugs has always been a goal of NCPA.”

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Founded in 1898, the National Community Pharmacists Association is the voice for the community pharmacist, representing over 18,900 pharmacies that employ more than 205,000 individuals nationwide. Community pharmacies are rooted in the communities where they are located and are among America's most accessible health care providers. To learn more, visit www.ncpa.org.