Soon, American citizens may be able to buy medicines at cheaper rates through a new website called TrumpRx, named after President Donald Trump himself.
On Tuesday, Trump announced the plan from the Oval Office alongside Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. He said the federal government is partnering with Pfizer to allow the company to sell some of its drugs directly to consumers at discounted rates. Deals with other major pharmaceutical firms are also expected.
“The United States is done subsidising the health care of the rest of the world,” Trump declared. “By taking this bold step, we’re ending the era of global price gouging at the expense of American families.”
Bourla supported the move, saying, “I think today we are turning the tide, and we are reversing an unfair situation.”
The announcement came as Trump's 100 per cent tariffs on imports of branded and patented pharmaceutical drugs came into effect today. India's pharmaceuticals sector, one of the most dependent domestic industries on trade with America, is feared to be significantly impacted by the move.
How the website will work
The website is expected to launch in early 2026. It will not directly sell or distribute medicines. Instead, people will search for the drugs they need on TrumpRx and then be redirected to Pfizer’s direct-to-consumer sales platform.
Pfizer has promised to sell several of its main medicines at discounts of up to 50 per cent. Some drugs will be priced according to the “Most Favoured Nation” model, meaning Americans will pay roughly the same as consumers in countries like Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK.
According to a 2024 report by the US Health and Human Services Department, Americans often pay three times more for medicines compared to people in other developed countries. Trump said this change would finally bring fairness to pricing.
However, one White House official admitted that only people without health insurance may benefit from the website, since insured patients could still find cheaper options at pharmacies.
Concerns raised
Experts have been cautious about Trump’s announcement. Many of the drugs listed for discounts are not widely prescribed in the US. For example, Xeljanz, a drug for rheumatoid arthritis, costs about $6,000 per month but will soon face competition from much cheaper generics.
Ameet Sarpatwari of Harvard Medical School told NPR, “I think it’s more underwhelming than what the president is touting. I think it’s more window dressing than the transformational sort of reforms that are needed to really provide relief to Americans struggling with high prices.”
Chris Meekins of Raymond James added, “New Trump drug website is likely irrelevant as few will pay out of pocket.”
Still, Trump’s allies praised the step. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said, “Never has a president stood up so bravely for the American people with respect to health care.”
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