TrumpRx is a federal government drug pricing portal launched this month; it displays discounted cash prices for a small set of prescription medicines, based on negotiated deals with manufacturers under “most-favored nation” pricing rules. The website doesn’t  sell or ship drugs itself and you don’t buy from the government. Instead, individuals may use the site to find a price and then follow either a hyperlink or use a coupon code to purchase from the manufacturer or pharmacy. Right now, these discounts are only available to people paying out-of-pocket, not using insurance. 

How does it work?  

1. Patients access TrumpRx.gov and search for their prescribed drug. 
2. If available, the website will show a discounted cash price and options.
3. The patient may either download/print a coupon to use at their local pharmacy or be sent to a direct-to-consumer site to fill the script.
4. Patients pay the discounted price out-of-pocket when they either pick up their prescription or have it shipped.  

What types of medications are available? 

About 43 medications are listed, including some high-cost brand name drugs for autoimmune conditions, diabetes and obesity (GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy), autoimmune conditions, and asthma. TrumpRx also offers pricing on some medications involved in fertility treatments.  

How much cheaper are they? 

Official White House messaging claims large reductions, sometimes 30 – 80% less than list prices and for some drugs that appears to be true. For example, prices for Wegovy and Ozempic drop from over $1,000 to about $250, depending on the specific dosage. 

Do you need a prescription to purchase drugs listed on TrumpRx? 

Yes. To order any drug seen on TrumpRx, the patient must have a valid prescription from a licensed provider. Because these discounts are only available to self-pay patients, people who are insured but still can’t afford their medications may not see meaningful savings. 

What about patients’ deductibles? 

Because TrumpRx purchases are required to be cash transactions not processed through insurance, they don’t count towards your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. That matters because even if the TrumpRx price is significantly lower than the list price, it might end up costing the patient less to purchase their medications using their insurance coverage. 

AHPA extends our gratitude to emerging colleague Mikhail Sirotinskii, guest author of this article.  

Mikhail is an undergraduate student studying Political Science at Spokane Falls Community College.