ISTANBUL

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday meant to, in his words, “bring the prices Americans and taxpayers pay for prescription drugs in line with those paid by similar nations."

The order includes several different steps, including a most favored nation policy. Trump did not say which nations would be included, but signaled that he would target other developed countries because “there are some countries that need some additional help, and that’s fine.”

"The order directs the US Trade Representative and Secretary of Commerce to take action to ensure foreign countries are not engaged in practices that purposefully and unfairly undercut market prices and drive price hikes in the United States," the White House said in a statement.

The order also instructed Washington to communicate price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to make sure the US gets the "best deal."

“Basically, what we’re doing is equalizing,” Trump said during a press event on Monday. “We are going to pay the lowest price there is in the world. We will get whoever is paying the lowest price, that’s the price that we’re going to get.”

The pricing provided by the new order would be determined by a joint mechanism bypassing middlemen and enabling US patients to buy their drugs directly from manufacturers who sell to Americans at a “most favored nation” price, he said.

"If drug manufacturers fail to offer most-favored-nation pricing, the Order directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: propose rules that impose most-favored-nation pricing; and take other aggressive measures to significantly reduce the cost of prescription drugs to the American consumer and end anticompetitive practices," the White House added.

It is unclear how much the costs would be reduced, but in a social media post on Monday, Trump claimed “59%, PLUS!”

But during the press event, Trump said drug prices may fall even more, up to 80%, adding: “I guess even 90%.”

Lacking a national health care provider, the US has long been plagued by skyrocketing drug prices.

Before Trump’s current term, President Joe Biden worked out a deal for lower prices on such drugs as ones for diabetes for US consumers.