On Sept. 30, Pfizer agreed to a deal with the Trump administration to offer prescription medicines to American customers for lower prices on the federal government’s website, TrumpRx. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla met with President Donald Trump in the White House following the steep tariffs announced Sept. 25 on pharmaceutical drugs and home fixtures. In return, the company will be granted a three-year grace period from tariffs as long as they develop their products and continue investing capital in America.

Currently, customers in the U.S. pay up to three to four times the cost that customers in other nations do, and pharmaceutical companies have invested in countries with lower tax rates, such as Ireland and Switzerland. Many Medicare patients can’t afford their treatment plans due to rising inflation and drug shortages, and hospitals are unable to keep up with the high drug expenses and patient care.

Due to high demand in the American market for branded drugs, companies charge higher rates through private insurance in comparison to other developed countries. This is one of our most prominent problems — no one should be denied the right to life because of corporate politics.

Out of frustration for this problem, Trump threatened tariffs of up to 100% on 17 major pharmaceutical companies, effective Oct. 1, unless they sold directly to consumers at slashed prices. Pfizer was the first company to agree to his conditions, and others are expected to follow.

In the past, Trump’s tariffs have been criticized for their repercussions on the economy, but Pfizer’s agreement seems like a beam of hope in a world where patients don’t receive adequate care because they can’t afford the luxury that is American healthcare. Though experts remain skeptical of the possible consequences, if tariffs prove to be an effective tool in lowering pharmaceutical drug prices, we can look toward a better future. In the end, the reality is that people’s lives should not be politicized and should never have been.