Trump’s ‘Buy American’ could shake up the drug industry. But its impact is unclear

President Trump signed a “Buy American” executive order yesterday, directing the federal government to buy certain drugs and medical devices solely from American manufacturers. The order could represent a seismic shakeup for the drug industry, STAT's Nicholas Florko reports, but the future is foggy. No one knows how much of the American drug supply chain is produced abroad. The executive order does not specify what drugs it covers; that job falls to the FDA to decide. And certain drugs and devices can be carved out from the executive order if buying the product in America would raise costs by more than 25%. “Taxpayers and patients will pay more for drugs and medical supplies,” economists warned the White House earlier this year on its “Buy American” plan.