Key Points:
- President Trump launched TrumpRx to help Americans buy cheaper prescription drugs.
- The website acts as a hub connecting patients directly to drug manufacturers.
- Popular drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy will see significant price drops.
- Experts warn that buying here might not count toward insurance deductibles.
President Donald Trump officially launched TrumpRx on Thursday, a new website designed to cut the cost of prescription medicine. The administration views this direct-to-consumer platform as a major step in lowering healthcare expenses for millions of Americans.
TrumpRx works differently from a standard pharmacy. The website does not sell pills directly to patients. Instead, it serves as a central hub. It guides users to the websites of major drugmakers who are offering discounts. This bypasses middlemen and targets people willing to pay cash or those who do not have insurance coverage.
Several major pharmaceutical companies have already signed up. Giants like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk negotiated deals with the administration to list their products. This move aligns with Trump’s policy to link U.S. drug prices to the lower costs found in other countries. Currently, Americans often pay two to three times more for the same medicine compared to people in other developed nations.
The discounts on the site are substantial for specific medications. For instance, the diabetes drug Ozempic will cost $350 per month through the site, a steep drop from its list price of roughly $1,000. Weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are also listed at reduced rates, making them more accessible to people whose insurance refuses to cover them.
However, health policy experts warn that TrumpRx might not be the cheapest option for everyone. Juliette Cubanski from the research group KFF noted that patients with good insurance might pay less through their standard copays. Additionally, money spent on TrumpRx likely won’t count toward a patient’s annual insurance deductible.
Despite these concerns, drugmakers are backing the plan. CEOs from companies like Bristol Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly support the model because it simplifies the complex U.S. healthcare system. By selling directly to patients, they can avoid fees from insurers and pharmacy benefit managers. While it may not solve every pricing issue, TrumpRx offers a new alternative for patients struggling with high costs.
