Joseph Walker and Peter Loftus report for The Wall Street Journal that President Trump is set to launch a TrumpRx web site in early 2026. Through the site, Americans will be able to buy their drugs directly from pharmaceutical companies. But, if you already have drug coverage, don’t expect to save money.
Pfizer reports that it will sell some of its drugs at lower prices through the TrumpRx web site. But, again, if you have insurance, you are likely to spend less on drugs using your insurance. Around 30 million Americans don’t drug insurance.
People who go to the TrumpRx web site will get help on how to get their drugs directly from pharmaceutical companies. The process could be simple or complex, we do not yet know. The prices for drugs through this web site will be lower than they are if you buy them directly at the pharmacy without insurance, but it’s not at all clear how much lower.
It’s also not clear whether people will be better off buying their drugs through GoodRx or Costco mail order than through the TrumpRx web site. What is clear is that people who buy their drugs online from verified pharmacies abroad can save a lot of money on their drugs. And people with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage too often pay more in coinsurance through their drugs than if they buy their drugs from a mail-order discount pharmacy.
Pfizer also has agreed to sell its drugs to Medicaid at prices no higher than the lowest price in seven other wealthy countries-Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Denmark. It’s not clear when Pfizer will lower its Medicaid drug prices. What’s clear is that it won’t help people with Medicaid directly, though it should lower state Medicaid costs.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Online pharmacies can save you money
- Case study: Costco saves one couple hundreds of dollars over Medicare Part D
- Don’t rely on Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs for the lowest prices
- CVS and Walgreens make getting a Covid vaccine a nightmare in many states
- 2025: It’s time to get your flu shot
