President Donald Trump is touting the federal government’s new direct-to-consumer drug platform, TrumpRx, as a health care revolution. The reality is more complicated, with only a narrow set of consumers poised to benefit from reduced prices on dozens of medications.
Some of the markdowns are eye-popping. Injectable weight-loss drug Ozempic starts at $199, compared to its list price of $1,028. Menopause hormone therapeutic Duavee can be purchased for $30 instead of $202.
In total, 43 medications are available at discounts ranging from 33% to 93%, with more potentially on the way.
For people whose health benefits cover these drugs, TrumpRx likely won’t offer any savings. The website warns: “If you have insurance, check your co-pay first — it may be even lower.”
But a slice of those enrolled in less generous plans — or lacking insurance altogether — stand to save hundreds of dollars on medications that may otherwise be out of reach.
“When you look at the entire ecosystem and ask if this is going to be meaningful for overall prescription drug spending, the answer is no,” said Antonio Ciaccia, president of Ohio-based health care consulting firm 3 Axis Advisors. “For folks who have had challenges at the pharmacy counter, if they are on one of these drugs, it could be a very massive impact for them.”
The White House said Friday evening TrumpRx has already received millions of unique visitors.
Some of the medications on TrumpRx are also available in generic forms at a lower cost, further limiting the website’s utility. Take Protonix, for instance. The stomach acid suppressant costs $200 on TrumpRx, but generics are available elsewhere for about $30.
TrumpRx does not sell or dispense medication. Rather, it’s a way for users to browse reduced cash-pay options, some of which existed through similar platforms or manufacturer websites prior its launch.
“It is like Expedia but for drugs, but only in a very limited capacity right now,” said Rena Conti, a health economist at Boston University who focuses on drug pricing.
Some medications require users to state they aren’t enrolled in a government insurance program, like Medicare or Medicaid. They must also acknowledge drugs purchased at TrumpRx prices aren’t eligible for insurance reimbursement and don’t count toward deductibles.
Then, they are given a coupon emblazoned with a golden eagle to take to their pharmacist. The slip can be printed or added to a virtual wallet.
Other offers, like an 89% discount on AstraZeneca’s Bevespi inhaler for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, require consumers to go to the company’s website. Drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk offer their GLP-1 medications online, as well, independent of TrumpRx.
The website functions similarly to GoodRx, which provides free coupons for hundreds of medications. In fact, TrumpRx is closer to a government-sponsored extension of GoodRx than a truly original service.
The drug discount company has integrated its existing deals on more than 30 Pfizer pharmaceuticals into TrumpRx along with products from other leading manufacturers, according to GoodRx. Prices for identical medications vary slightly between the platforms, meaning consumers are best served checking both.
“GoodRx gives manufacturers a proven way to launch discounted cash pricing at scale and extend it directly into TrumpRx,” GoodRx President and CEO Wendy Barnes said in a statement. “Together, we’re turning the promise of prescription drug affordability into a reality for millions of Americans.”
When accounting for existing direct-to-consumer options, TrumpRx offers the best deals for just a small number of drugs. Fertility treatment Gonal F is among them. It goes for $168 through TrumpRx, down from its base cost of $966.
Pharmacist concerns
As critical as they are to the aims of TrumpRx, some brick-and-mortar pharmacies say they’ve received little information about the platform or how they’ll be compensated for honoring its coupons.
Pharmacies typically buy drugs from distributors at close to list price. The deeply discounted cash-pay options provided by TrumpRx leave differences of hundreds of dollars for some medications for which pharmacies must seek payment.
The TrumpRx website simply states that “payment to pharmacies will depend on how each manufacturer chooses to provide its discounted pricing.” This is similar to how manufacturers handle other direct-to-consumer arrangements, according to the White House.
Jay Adzema, owner of Adzema Pharmacy in McCandless, finds the website’s explanation insufficient.
“As a pharmacy owner, I’ve got no information on what I’m supposed to do with this,” he said.
To Conti, the brief explanation provided by TrumpRx suggests drugmakers and pharmacies will have to reach individual contracts.
CVS said Friday it will accept TrumpRx coupons at its roughly 9,000 pharmacies nationwide.
Walgreens did not return a request for comment.