Wisconsin pharmacist says Trump’s tariffs could end his business

August 6, 2026 - 03:37

A small-town Wisconsin pharmacist says the Trump administration's new tariffs on generic drugs might be the final blow for his independent business. Mike Johnson, who runs Fitchburg Family Pharmacy just outside Madison, told local reporters that the import taxes could push his operating costs beyond what he can survive.

Johnson has owned the pharmacy for over a decade, serving a mix of elderly patients and families who rely on affordable generic medications. He says most of his inventory comes from overseas manufacturers, particularly in India and China. Under the new tariff plan, those drugs could see price increases of up to twenty-five percent at the wholesale level.

"We operate on razor-thin margins," Johnson explained. "Generic drugs are already cheap, but the tariffs eat away the little profit we have left. I cannot pass the full cost to customers because most are on fixed incomes or have insurance plans that cap what they pay."

He estimates that his monthly supply costs could rise by several thousand dollars. That would force him to either cut staff, reduce hours, or close entirely. Johnson says he has already contacted his congressional representatives but has received no clear answers.

The tariffs are part of a broader trade policy aimed at bringing pharmaceutical manufacturing back to the United States. Supporters argue that domestic production will create jobs and secure the drug supply chain. But Johnson points out that building new factories takes years, and small pharmacies cannot wait that long.

"I am not against American manufacturing," he said. "But in the meantime, you are killing the small businesses that serve your communities every day."

Fitchburg Family Pharmacy fills about two hundred prescriptions a day. If it closes, Johnson says many of his patients would have to drive twenty miles or more to the nearest chain store. He hopes lawmakers will reconsider the policy before it takes full effect.