Following last week’s launch of TrumpRx, a federal government-based prescription drug platform, doctors are speaking about its potential benefits for consumers — and also its limitations.
The platform, which can be accessed at TrumpRx.gov, allows patients to access "large discounts on many of the most popular and highest-priced medicines in the country," according to the statement on The White House website.
The goal is for consumers to get the lowest available pricing among other developed nations, referred to as the MFN (most-favored-nation) price.
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As of its initial launch, TrumpRx includes discounted pricing for 40 medications from five pharmaceutical manufacturers: AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer.
"Depending on the manufacturer of a given drug, patients with valid prescriptions will be able to access savings through user-friendly coupons that can be printed or downloaded onto their phones or through channels set up by the manufacturer and integrated into TrumpRx.gov," the announcement says.
TrumpRx is not an online pharmacy, as it does not directly prescribe, dispense or sell medications.
Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert, said he considers TrumpRx to be a "solid concept," putting cheaper, cash-pay drug prices at the forefront.
"Prescription drugs are one of the quiet ways families get squeezed every month," he told Fox News Digital. "Anything that makes prices clearer and pushes them down is a step in the right direction."
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Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, called TrumpRx "a step in the right direction."
"We have a lack of price transparency in the system — drugmakers and pharmacy benefit managers jack up the prices, which insurance companies pay, but then transfer the cost to the consumer in terms of higher premiums, copays and deductibles," Siegel told Fox News Digital.
The goal of Trump Rx, according to Siegel, is not to enact government price controls, but to increase consumer choices, allowing them to pay directly for drugs in amounts that do not exceed what other countries are paying.
"TrumpRx will help provide access to crucial drugs that are otherwise not affordable or not covered by insurance, such as fertility drugs, cancer drugs, the growing GLP-1 market, diabetes drugs and asthma drugs," Siegel said.
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"Even with discounts offered through TrumpRx or through its partnership with GoodRx — where you go from Trump Rx to an online pharmacy (with a prescription) or to the manufacturer — these drugs are still expensive," he added.
This first iteration of the marketplace focuses on several key medications, which means not all patients will find what they need. For now, TrumpRx focuses on anti-obesity (weight-loss) drugs like GLP-1 agonists — although Osborn said that is "exactly where national attention should be."
"Obesity is not a cosmetic issue — it’s a metabolic epidemic, a gateway disease that underpins heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers, dementia and massive downstream health spending," he said.
On TrumpRx, injectable Ozempic and Wegovy (for diabetes and obesity, respectively), could cost about $350 per month on average, down from ~$1,000+, with some doses as low as $199/month. Wegovy pills could be as low as $149/month.
The price for Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s obesity medication, could fall to about $346 per month on average, or as low as $299 depending on the dose.
Commonly used medications for infertility, COPD, asthma, dermatitis, hot flashes and osteoporosis are also included.
Osborn commended the platform for "not trying to be everything."
"A more directed platform – like TrumpRx — that highlights medications that address ‘root cause’ diseases sends a MAHA signal," he said. "It shows people what matters."
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Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, applauded the launch of the platform.
"We’re continuing to make it easier for people to access our authentic, FDA-approved medicines by expanding availability through multiple, convenient options," said Chris Pernie, associate vice president of U.S. public affairs, referencing NovoCare Pharmacy, the company’s direct-to-patient channel that launched in March 2025.
"The launch of TrumpRx will further extend patients’ reach to Ozempic and Wegovy, including the newly approved Wegovy pill, at our self-pay prices," Pernie added in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
Osborn cautioned that some drugs may not always be cheaper than insurance once deductibles are met.
"Cash payments (accessed through the platform’s coupons) do not count toward out-of-pocket limits," he pointed out. "And comparing TrumpRx prices to list prices can make discounts on the site look bigger than they really are."
In a new commentary, Cato health policy expert Dr. Jeffrey Singer acknowledged that direct-to-consumer drug sales can help push prices down, but suggested that federal government’s control of the system could pose a risk.
"President Trump is right that direct-to-consumer drug sales can restore cost sensitivity and put pressure on prices," Singer wrote. "But a government-run platform risks crowding out private competition and reintroducing political favoritism into a market that was already becoming more consumer-driven."
Siegel also pointed out that there is some concern about the impact on pharmaceutical research and development, "at a time of great innovation and personalized solutions."
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"I am also concerned about more cheap copies spinning off here as a result, especially with the weight-loss drugs," he added.
As TrumpRx continues to evolve, Osborn recommends that antihypertensives (blood pressure medications) should be added.
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"Blood pressure control is non-negotiable. Control blood pressure, blood sugar, lipids, body composition and lifestyle, and health follows," he said.
Health officials are working to secure more agreements with pharmaceutical companies to expand the selection of prescription drugs on the platform.
"As the Trump administration pursues the best possible deals for the American people, additional high-cost medications will be added on a rolling basis," The White House’s announcement states.
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Overall, Osborn said he believes TrumpRx could help to "flip the script" on the "death spiral of chronic disease management."
"Lower drug costs should be seen as an American win — not a partisan one," he said. "This is a bid toward the center, not toward the right or the left. Although it is so right."
from Health News Today on Fox News https://ift.tt/l9yFNs8
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