WASHINGTON, D.C. — This evening, the Trump administration rolled out TrumpRx.gov, a new federal website intended to connect patients with manufacturer discounts on certain high-cost prescription drugs. In response to the announcement, P4AD CEO Merith Basey released the following statement:
“It is no secret that Americans are desperate for lower drug prices, and efforts to bring U.S. prices in line with those in other high-income nations are urgently needed. We share the goal of addressing high drug prices and are encouraged to see the Administration keep this issue front and center.
The steep discounts on select medications will be especially welcomed by patients struggling to afford GLP-1s. However, these voluntary agreements lack clear enforcement mechanisms and still put the power to set and increase prices firmly in the hands of pharmaceutical corporations.
Patients in our community will soon learn if they can reliably access these discounts at the pharmacy counter, where the program will ultimately be tested and where affordability matters most.”
At the time of launch, TrumpRx.gov features discounted prices on 40 brand-name medicines offered by a limited number of manufacturers.
Drugs available through TrumpRx must be purchased with cash and do not count toward insurance deductibles or out-of-pocket limits. While some medications are offered through manufacturer coupon cards that may be used at local pharmacies, others are only available through manufacturers’ direct-to-consumer websites or a limited set of mail-order pharmacies. Pharmacies and manufacturers are not required to participate, and there is currently no known standardized process to ensure these discounts will be consistently accepted at the pharmacy counter.
The pricing commitments are voluntary and not backed by statute, with no clear penalties if manufacturers withdraw products or change terms. Most importantly, the program does not address drug list prices, leaving the underlying drivers of high costs untouched.
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Patients For Affordable Drugs Now is the only national, patient advocacy organization focused exclusively on policies to lower drug prices. We empower and mobilize patients and allies, hold accountable those in power, and fight to shape and achieve system-changing policies that make prescription drugs affordable for all people in the United States. P4ADNow is bipartisan and does not accept funding from organizations that profit from the development or distribution of prescription drugs. To learn more, visit: PatientsForAffordableDrugsNOW.org