US President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled a self-branded prescription drug website, “TrumpRx,” which the administration says will help Americans access discounted medicines directly from the pharmaceutical companies. This includes discounted rates for weight-loss and infertility treatments.“Starting tonight, dozens of the most commonly used prescription drugs will be available at dramatic discounts for all consumers,” Trump said, unveiling the website at a brief evening event on the White House campus. “Americans have long been paying the highest drug prices anywhere in the world… the American people were effectively subsidizing the cost of drugs for the entire world.”He further added, “You’re going to save a fortune. And this is also so good for overall health care.”Trump said the lower prices are the result of his administration pressuring pharmaceutical companies to offer “most favored nation” pricing — matching the lowest prices offered in other developed countries.“We’re tired of subsidizing the world,” he said, arguing that price cuts in the US would be offset by higher costs abroad.
What is TrumpRx?
Despite being billed as a way to buy drugs “directly,” TrumpRx is not itself an e-commerce platform. Instead, the government-hosted site functions as a facilitator.Users can search for a medication. They are then routed to drugmakers’ websites to purchase, or can print coupons to present at pharmacies.The site launches with savings offers covering more than 40 medications, including high-demand weight-loss drugs and fertility treatments.Trump cast the initiative as part of a broader push to lower healthcare costs, a major voter concern. This comes ahead of the Republicans heading into November’s midterm elections with affordability pressures extending beyond medicine to housing, groceries and utilities.The White House and Trump allies promoted eye-catching discounts for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, with Trump saying Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Wegovy would drop from over $1,000 a month to $199 monthly through the program.The TrumpRx website indicates the discounted pricing may apply initially and then rise after the first two months, according to details posted on the site.Officials also used the event to spotlight fertility-drug discounts, bringing a woman on stage whom they said was the first user to obtain a reduced-cost fertility medication through TrumpRx.Dr Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, suggested the initiative could have sweeping public-health effects, at one point saying, “We’re going to have a lot of Trump babies with these costs.”However, the practical impact on household budgets remains uncertain.The site includes disclaimers that the listed figures represent “out-of-pocket” prices and that insured consumers “may be even lower” through existing coverage.Many patients already receive drug-cost protection through employer plans, private insurance marketplaces, or government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and some may be able to switch to less expensive generics depending on the prescription.The launch follows months of announcements by Trump about drug-price deals with major manufacturers, including Pfizer, Eli Lilly and Merck, and comes after multiple delays to the website’s release that the administration has not publicly explained.Trump has also pointed to separate efforts to lower prices for certain Medicare drugs through a negotiation program created by a 2022 law, which his administration has continued to use alongside the new TrumpRx rollout.
