Article Summary –
The Wisconsin pharmacist Thad Schumacher is facing the possibility of closing his business or going into greater debt due to tariffs on generic drugs announced by President Donald Trump, which aim to reshore pharmaceutical production to America by imposing a 100% tariff in August 2028 and 200% a year later. These tariffs are expected to increase costs for pharmacies, which may not be able to raise prices due to constraints from pharmacy benefit managers, leading to higher costs for patients, especially those without adequate insurance coverage. Schumacher criticized Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany for supporting such tariffs, arguing they will exacerbate public health issues by making medications unaffordable, ultimately burdening emergency rooms with patients unable to afford their prescriptions.
A Wisconsin pharmacist faces increased debt or business closure due to generic drug tariffs President Donald Trump revealed in July.
Thad Schumacher, owner of Fitchburg Family Pharmacy near Madison, stated closing his pharmacy would severely impact the community during a July 28 press conference by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
In August 2028, Trump plans to impose a 100% tariff on generic drugs imported for a year, then increasing to 200%, as announced on social media.
“This is to RESHORE Generic Pharmaceutical Production into America,” Trump wrote, aiming to compel companies to invest domestically.
Schumacher anticipates rising costs for wholesalers, affecting pharmacies and ultimately patients who need medication.
“Patients paying out-of-pocket will face higher prices,” he noted. “Insured patients might not have their pharmacy reimbursed despite higher drug costs, leading to an unsustainable situation.”
Local pharmacies can’t endure constant losses on prescriptions. Schumacher sometimes directs patients to other pharmacies to avoid selling at a loss. Bound by pharmacy benefit managers’ prices, pharmacies can’t adjust prices like other businesses might.
Other Wisconsin pharmacies have struggled too. Last year, Streu’s Pharmacy in Green Bay closed after 70 years.
Schumacher criticized Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany’s support for Trump’s tariffs.
In 2020, Tiffany cosponsored legislation for duties on imported drugs, but it stalled in the House.
Tiffany also backed a 2023 bill to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, which aimed to lower prescription costs, such as capping insulin payments for Medicare users at $35.
“Tiffany has been no friend to pharmacy or healthcare in Wisconsin,” Schumacher asserted. Tiffany’s office didn’t comment on Trump’s tariffs, but Tiffany previously defended Trump’s fight for a fair trading system in a 2025 interview.
Milwaukee ER physician Chris Ford said higher drug prices threaten public health, as unaffordable prescriptions could worsen patient health and burden emergency rooms.
“I’ve treated patients in the ER who were there because they couldn’t afford their medications,” Ford explained. “This situation will worsen if tariffs are enacted.”
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