Outside the Box
To guarantee Americans the medication they need, the U.S. must stop relying on China and India
Last Updated: Dec. 10, 2025 at 3:08 p.m. ET
First Published: Dec. 10, 2025 at 8:05 a.m. ET
The U.S. is facing a healthcare crisis most Americans aren’t aware of — a dangerous, growing dependence on foreign nations to supply essential daily medicines.
Currently 90% of Americans’ everyday medications and prescription drugs are now imported. More than 80% of the active pharmaceutical ingredients in generic drugs are produced overseas — mostly in China and India. This has led to a situation where U.S. hospitals currently face chronic shortages for more than 250 critical medicines, including life-saving chemotherapy drugs.
