Why did the pharmacist roll his eyes while filling a prescription? Because, with deductibles hitting $590 and patients paying $100 out-of-pocket for a common asthma inhaler like albuterol, he’s filling more complaints than prescriptions!
FDA Approvals and New Drug Developments
Wayrilz (rilzabrutinib): The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Wayrilz on August 29, 2025, for adults with persistent or chronic immune thrombocytopenia. This kinase inhibitor targets specific immune conditions, offering a new treatment option for patients. Dawnzera (donidalorsen): Approved as a prekallikrein-directed antisense oligonucleotide, Dawnzera is indicated for prophylaxis to prevent attacks of hereditary angioedema in adults. This adds to the growing
list of targeted therapies.
Other Recent Approvals: The FDA has also approved drugs like Nuvaxovid, mNEXSPIKE, Cyklx, Papzimeos, Brinsupri, Zegfrovy, Lynozyfic, Arynta, Harliku, and Ibtrozi, expanding treatment options across various conditions.
Moderna and Novavax Updates: On August 27, 2025, Moderna and Novavax announced FDA approvals for new formulations or indications, reflecting ongoing innovation in pharmaceuticals.
GLP-1 Drugs and Side Effects: Studies have highlighted potential risks with GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic
and Mounjaro, noting an increased risk of rare eye conditions in type 2 diabetes patients. However,
liraglutide (a GLP-1 drug) showed promise in reducing migraine days by nearly 50% in patients with
obesity.
Source: Drugs.com for detailed drug approval information and FDA updates. (https://www.drugs.com/)
(https://www.drugs.com/news.html) (https://www.fda.gov/drugs)
Policy Changes and Drug Pricing Initiatives
Trump’s Executive Order on Drug Pricing (May 12, 2025): President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to align U.S. prescription drug prices with those in other developed countries under a “most favored nation” pricing model. The order targets Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance, including high-cost drugs like weight-loss medications. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to facilitate direct-to-consumer drug purchases, bypassing middlemen like pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The policy faces opposition from pharmaceutical companies and is likely to encounter legal challenges, as a similar attempt in Trump’s first term was blocked by courts.
Medicare Drug Price Negotiations: Under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Medicare has selected 15 additional drugs for price negotiations in 2025, with negotiated prices effective in 2027. These drugs, used by 5.3 million Medicare Part D enrollees, accounted for $41 billion in costs from November 2023 to October 2024. The first round of negotiations for 10 drugs is expected to save $6 billion in 2026, with discounts ranging from 38% to 79%. A $2,000 out-of-pocket cap for Medicare Part D enrollees is projected to save 11 million beneficiaries $7.2 billion in 2025.
Tariff Concerns: Trump’s proposed tariffs on imported drugs (announced April 2, 2025) could raise costs for independent pharmacists and generic drug makers, potentially exacerbating drug shortages. Pharmacists like Benjamin Jolley are stockpiling drugs to mitigate tariff impacts, which could increase costs by up to 30 cents per vial for small pharmacies.
Sources: Reuters, NPR, NBC News, CMS, and KFF Health News for policy and tariff-related updates. (https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/hhs-announces-15-additional-drugs-selected-medicare
drug-price-negotiations-continued-effort-lower) (https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare
pharmaceuticals/trump-says-he-will-cut-drug-prices-by-59-2025-05-12/) (https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/05/12/nx-s1-5395625/trump-lower-drug-prices)
Drug Shortages and Affordability Issues
Drug Shortages: Drug shortages reached a decade-high in 2023, with an average of 301 drugs in shortage per quarter, a 13% increase from the previous year. This impacts patient care, particularly for critical drugs like chemotherapy and IV saline.
Affordability Challenges: Approximately 30% of Americans report not taking medications as prescribed due to high costs. A 2024 KFF poll found that 82% of adults view prescription drug costs as unreasonable, with 55% worried about affording their medications. Black and Hispanic adults report higher concern (61% and 69%, respectively) compared to White adults (50%). A West Health study estimates that over 1.1 million Medicare patients could die in the next decade due to unaffordable drugs
Price Increases: From January 2022 to January 2023, over 4,200 drug products saw price increases, with 46% exceeding inflation rates. The average increase was 15.2%, or $590 per drug product. U.S. drug prices remain 2.78 times higher than in 33 other OECD countries, with brand-name drugs costing over three times more.
Sources: Stanford Medicine, ASPE, RAND, and KFF for affordability and shortage data.
(https://www.kff.org/health-costs/public-opinion-on-prescription-drugs-and-their-prices/)
(https://medicine.stanford.edu/news/current-news/standard-news/policy-options-white-paper.html)
(https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/changes-list-prices-prescription-drugs)
Emerging Research and Public Health Concerns
Low- and No-Calorie Sweeteners (LNCSs): A September 3, 2025, study linked LNCS consumption to faster cognitive decline, raising concerns about their long-term effects.
Buprenorphine Availability: From 2017 to 2023, buprenorphine availability for opioid use disorder treatment increased to 39.4% in 2023, improving access to addiction treatment. Child-Resistant Packaging: The FDA is urging nicotine pouch manufacturers to adopt child-resistant packaging to prevent accidental ingestion by children.
Experimental Therapies: Research on psilocybin (magic mushrooms) shows promise for long-lasting antidepressant effects and cellular life extension in aged mice. Additionally, fermented stevia extract may help fight pancreatic cancer cells, though further human studies are needed.
Sources: Drugs.com and Fox News for research updates.
(https://www.drugs.com/news.html) (https://www.foxnews.com/category/health/healthy
living/medications)
Public Opinion and Advocacy
Public Sentiment: KFF polls indicate strong public support for measures to lower drug costs, such as Medicare price negotiations. However, awareness of the IRA’s drug pricing provisions remains low, with many unaware of the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap or negotiated prices.
AMA Advocacy: The American Medical Association (AMA) is pushing for regulations that prioritize physician-patient decision-making over restrictive formularies, aiming to improve access and public health outcomes. (https://www.ama-assn.org/topics/prescription-drugs)
PBM Criticism: Criticism of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) is intensifying, with some employers dropping major PBMs due to cost concerns. Trump’s executive order also targets PBMs to reduce their influence on drug pricing.
Sources: KFF, AMA, and NPR for public opinion and advocacy insights.
(https://www.ama-assn.org/topics/prescription-drugs)
(https://kffhealthnews.org/news/tag/prescription-drugs/)
(https://www.kff.org/health-costs/public-opinion-on-prescription-drugs-and-their-prices/)
(https://www.aha.org/news/blog/2024-05-22-drug-prices-and-shortages-jeopardize-patient-access-quality
hospital-care)
Reuters, NPR, NBC News: For Trump’s executive order and tariff discussions.
(https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/trump-says-he-will-cut-drug-prices-by-59
2025-05-12/)
(https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/05/12/nx-s1-5395625/trump-lower-drug-prices)
(https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-executive-order-prescription-drugs-price-match
rcna206218)
KFF Health News: For public opinion, affordability, and PBM insights.
(https://kffhealthnews.org/news/tag/prescription-drugs/)
(https://www.kff.org/health-costs/public-opinion-on-prescription-drugs-and-their-prices/)
(https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/05/13/nx-s1-5395834/pharmacists-stockpile
generic-drugs-trump-tariffs)
RAND and ASPE: For drug price comparisons and list price trends.
(https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/changes-list-prices-prescription-drugs)
(https://www.rand.org/news/press/2024/02/01.html )
Stanford Medicine and AMA: For policy reform and advocacy perspectives.
(https://www.ama-assn.org/topics/prescription-drugs) (https://medicine.stanford.edu/news/current
news/standard-news/policy-options-white-paper.html)
Fox News: For emerging research and public health concerns.
(https://www.foxnews.com/category/health/healthy-living/medications )