The White House on Feb. 5 launched TrumpRx, a direct-to-consumer website aimed at reducing prescription drug costs by linking patients to manufacturer discounts — but many listed drugs are available for less elsewhere.
The site primarily targets uninsured patients or those lacking coverage for high-cost drugs such as GLP-1s and fertility treatments. TrumpRx even warns users, “If you have insurance, check your copay first — it may be even lower,” according to a Feb. 6 report from The New York Times.
The platform lists 43 brand-name medications and directs users to drugmaker websites or provides printable coupons. At launch, five companies participated: AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer.
Discounted drugs on TrumpRx include Wegovy pills at $149 and Zepbound at $299 — prices marketed as steep reductions from retail list prices. But many of these medications are already available for less through insurance, generics or third-party tools such as GoodRx, according to a Feb. 6 report from CNBC.
Novo Nordisk, for example, priced Ozempic at $350 per month through TrumpRx. Yet in Medicare Part D, average brand-name drug discounts reach 40% off list prices, and Medicaid discounts exceed 75%, CNBC reported.
Although the platform may offer savings for some cash-paying patients, pricing comparisons suggest most insured Americans are still likely to find lower costs elsewhere.
