Trump misleadingly says prescription drug prices have gone down

President Trump on Sunday wrongly claimed drug prices declined in 2018, saying bipartisan cooperation on the issue would “get big results.”

“Last year was the first in 51 years where prescription drug prices actually went down, but things have been, and are being, put in place that will drive them down substantially,” Trump tweeted Sunday. “If Dems would work with us in a bipartisan fashion, we would get big results very fast!”

Last year was the first in 51 years where prescription drug prices actually went down, but things have been, and are being, put in place that will drive them down substantially. If Dems would work with us in a bipartisan fashion, we would get big results very fast!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 7, 2019

{mosads}In January, Trump tweeted a similar claim, this time saying it was the first time “in nearly half a century” drug prices declined and touting the administration’s efforts to streamline the path to market for generic drugs. Drug price increases in 2018 were smaller and less frequent than in years past, which Health and Human Secretary Alex Azar touted around the same time.

However, a September analysis by the Associated Press found 96 price hikes for each price reduction in the first seven months of 2018, and drug manufacturers increased prices for 1,026 drugs by a median of 6 percent in January, according to STAT News.

Politifact, the fact-checking website, also rated Trump’s tweet “mostly false.”

This claim rates Mostly False. Nationally, spending on drugs has continued to climb, even if that growth has slowed. https://t.co/nilf7Yo2Mt https://t.co/c17N3gY8Zg

— PolitiFact (@PolitiFact) July 7, 2019

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also responded to the claim, noting the correct figures and adding “When we win, we won’t wait for drug companies to end their greed. We will end it for them.”

That’s a lie.

– There were 96 price increases for every cut during 2018
– Drug prices increased 10.5% in the last 6 months
– The prices of 104 drugs rose by 13.1% on average last week

When we win, we won’t wait for drug companies to end their greed. We will end it for them. https://t.co/H1KU9DA0SU

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 7, 2019

The tweet follows comments to reporters by Trump on Friday in which he said the administration would announce a “favored-nations clause” to reduce drug prices, in which the amount the government paid for any given drug would not be more than the lowest amount other nations or companies pay.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for clarification from The Hill.