President Donald Trump’s recent directive to 17 pharmaceutical manufacturers demanding that U.S. drug prices align with the lowest prices in other developed countries has thrust the issue of prescription drug affordability into the spotlight. The goal, making medications accessible for American patients, is one we all share. The path to achieving it matters, and the current approach risks missing the mark by overlooking a critical player in the crisis, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

Physicians and patient advocates have long warned about PBMs’ role in increasing costs. We applaud efforts to lower drug prices, but we urge policymakers to confront the root causes of the broken system, starting with the practices of PBMs.

Unlike other developed nations, the United States relies heavily o

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