Ben Carson mostly blames excessive government regulations for skyrocketing drug costs, as some of his Republican presidential opponents also have done.
Asked in a Wednesday night CNBC debate how drug prices can be brought down, the retired neurosurgeon gave a nod to criticisms that drug companies are raising the costs to increase their profit margin. "There's no question some people go overboard when it comes to trying to make profit," he said.
But Carson said it's mostly because of government red tape that drugs are too expensive for average Americans to afford. He said the average small manufacturer pays $30,000 per employee due to federal regulations for getting drugs approved.
"We're going to have to have a major reduction in the regulatory influence that's going on," Carson said. "The government is not supposed to be in every part of our lives and that's what's going on."
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