Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health hosted an expert media briefing to explore the state of the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain; proposed tariffs on imported drugs; and the implications for drug prices, availability, and domestic production.
The U.S. prescription drug supply depends heavily on a complex global web of suppliers. Recent policy proposals introducing tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals raise questions about affordability, access, and the long-term resilience of the drug supply chain.
Experts:
Mariana Socal, MD, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research focuses on pharmaceutical policy, drug pricing, and access to prescription medications, including the global pharmaceutical supply chain.
Jeromie Ballreich, PhD, is an associate research professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management. His work centers on pharmaceutical economics, health care cost-effectiveness, and access to medications.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:50 Landscape for branded drugs
4:32 Tariffs’ effect on prices
8:56 Tariffs and drug prices negotiated under Medicare
11:28 Changes ahead of tariffs
14:38 Making drugs affordable of seniors
18:13 Building U.S. capacity for producing drugs
19:50 U.S. drug stockpiles
23:00 How primary care might be affected by tariffs
26:38 How physicians can prepare
28:00 How tariffs could affect residents of Mississippi
29:50 Likelihood of U.S. drug production increasing
Resources:
Mariana Socal
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/faculty/3523/mariana-p-socal
Jeromie Ballreich
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/faculty/3522/jeromie-m-ballreich
Johns Hopkins Awarded $1.5M Department of Defense Grant to Strengthen U.S. Drug Supply Chain Resilience
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/hopkins-awarded-15m-department-of-defense-grant
Johns Hopkins Drug Access and Affordability Initiative
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/johns-hopkins-drug-access-and-affordability-initiative
Tariffs on Pharmaceuticals podcast
johnshopkinssph.libsyn.com/904-tariffs-on-pharmaceuticals
U.S. FDA: Drug Shortages Database
fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/drug-shortages
https://publichealth.jhu.edu
instagram.com/JohnsHopkinsSPH
facebook.com/JohnsHopkinsSPH
twitter.com/johnshopkinssph
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health hosted an expert media briefing to explore the state of the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain; proposed tariffs on imported drugs; and the implications for drug prices, availability, and domestic production.
The U.S. prescription drug supply depends heavily on a complex global web of suppliers. Recent policy proposals introducing tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals raise questions about affordability, access, and the long-term resilience of the drug supply chain.
Experts:
Mariana Socal, MD, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research focuses on pharmaceutical policy, drug pricing, and access to prescription medications, including the global pharmaceutical supply chain.
Jeromie Ballreich, PhD, is an associate research professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management. His work centers on pharmaceutical economics, health care cost-effectiveness, and access to medications.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:50 Landscape for branded drugs
4:32 Tariffs’ effect on prices
8:56 Tariffs and drug prices negotiated under Medicare
11:28 Changes ahead of tariffs
14:38 Making drugs affordable of seniors
18:13 Building U.S. capacity for producing drugs
19:50 U.S. drug stockpiles
23:00 How primary care might be affected by tariffs
26:38 How physicians can prepare
28:00 How tariffs could affect residents of Mississippi
29:50 Likelihood of U.S. drug production increasing
Resources:
Mariana Socal
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/faculty/3523/mariana-p-socal
Jeromie Ballreich
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/faculty/3522/jeromie-m-ballreich
Johns Hopkins Awarded $1.5M Department of Defense Grant to Strengthen U.S. Drug Supply Chain Resilience
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/hopkins-awarded-15m-department-of-defense-grant
Johns Hopkins Drug Access and Affordability Initiative
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/johns-hopkins-drug-access-and-affordability-initiative
Tariffs on Pharmaceuticals podcast
johnshopkinssph.libsyn.com/904-tariffs-on-pharmaceuticals
U.S. FDA: Drug Shortages Database
fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/drug-shortages
https://publichealth.jhu.edu
instagram.com/JohnsHopkinsSPH
facebook.com/JohnsHopkinsSPH
twitter.com/johnshopkinssph
