Independent California Pharmacies Brace For Tariffs On Imported Medication

Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, May 19, 2025…

• Federal authorities are seeking help to piece together the timeline of their primary suspect in the explosion at a Palm Springs fertility clinic over the weekend. They identified 25-year-old Twentynine Palms Guy Edward Bartkus in connection with the bombing and said he was likely killed in the blast.
• President Donald Trump said he will announce tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals in the next few weeks. While big drug companies seem to have plans to weather the storm, independent pharmacists in California are trying their best to prepare with limited information.

Authorities Look For Answers In Twentynine Palms Fertility Clinic Bombing 

After the bombing of a fertility clinic in Twentynine Palms on Saturday, law enforcement is seeking the public’s help in order to piece together what transpired before the destruction.  Authorities have identified 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus as their person of interest. They have determined that Bartkus was likely killed in the blast.

Akil Davis, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said the suspect had nihilistic ideations and targeted the American Reproductive Center’s IVF facility. The blast blew off part of the front of the building and started a fire but Davis said the damage was not as bad as it could have been.

“Due to the speed and professionalism of the Palm Springs Fire Department, station one the Palm Springs police department as well as the FBI bomb technicians, we are able to save all of the embryos at this facility.”

Small Business Pharmacies Brace For Tariffs On Imported Pharmaceuticals

Independent pharmacists in California are doing their best to prepare for an increase in prices after President Donald Trump said he will announce tariffs on imported medication in the next few weeks.

Ken Thai, owner of Alhambra pharmacy in the Los Angeles area, said that he is currently trying to gauge how this will impact his small business. “The uncertainty does raise some questions regarding what the prices of medications will be for us as a pharmacy,” he said. “Is this going to be the final nail in the coffin? I don’t know. We’re just praying for the best.”

Trump’s statement sent drugmakers scrambling to figure out whether he was serious, and whether some tariffs would be levied more narrowly, since many parts of the U.S. drug supply chain are fragile, drug shortages are common, and upheaval at the FDA leaves questions about whether its staffing is adequate to inspect factories, where quality problems can lead to supply chain crises.