Welcome to Wellness on Mass. I'm Dr. Nicole Sapphire Board Certified Physician, Mom, and Forever Truth Seeker,

and this is your weekly rundown. Well, it's been a big week in the world of health policy,

and today I want to break down one of the biggest headlines that could directly affect your family's

health, but also your pocketbook. President Trump is once again

putting drug pricing front and center. On Monday, he announced a renewed push to lower prescription

medication through an executive order that aims to reduce high prescription drug pricing.

So what does it mean? Well, we don't exactly know the details yet, but here's what I do know.

President Trump's initiative to lower drug prices is a long overdue step towards putting

patients before profits. For too long, Americans have paid the highest prices in the world

for medications, often having to choose between prescriptions and groceries. As a physician,

I've seen patients delay treatment, sometimes with

tragic consequences, all because of cost. So whether you agree with the politics or not,

the conversation around drug affordability is one we desperately need, and it seems we're having

it again. Now I say again because this idea isn't new. Trump first introduced a version of this

policy in 2020,

but it faced pushback from pharmaceutical companies and was tangled up in litigation.

And let's be honest, Biden didn't continue the efforts.

This renewed commitment could actually reignite that battle.

The new plan, however, is much wider with what I see are two main focus points, the first

one being ensuring Americans are not paying more than other developed nations for their

drugs. This is the most favored nation rule, which seeks to align U.S. drug pricing with what

other developed nations pay, holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for excessive

...