President says he’s adding ‘over 600’ prescription drugs to TrumpRx site | Donald Trump
Donald Trump has announced a major expansion of his prescription drug website TrumpRx, claiming that the number of drugs offered through the discount program will increase almost sevenfold.
Experts raised questions earlier this year about the limited number of drugs listed on the site, suggesting they would appeal to a relatively small group of patients.
In a speech on Monday, Trump claimed that his administration had “added more than 600 affordable generic medications to its website,” which would offer consumers “a single source to ensure they get the lowest possible cost on a prescription.”
“TrumpRx will offer the best and lowest prices on prescriptions currently used by tens of millions of Americans, and in some cases, discounted generic drugs offered through TrumpRx may be offered at a cash price lower than out-of-pocket insurance costs,” he said.
Trump added that his administration is developing new tools for the site, including a feature that will connect patients to the lowest-priced pharmacy in their neighborhood or allow discounted prescriptions to be shipped directly to their homes.
During a presentation at the event, Trump’s chief design officer, Joe Gebbia, said the website includes a section called “Presidential Deals” that features “some of the most affordable branded drugs” in the country. Gebbia added that consumers can now search for brand-name medications and compare them to generic alternatives.
Gebbia, Airbnb’s co-founder, also highlighted a new price comparison tool on the site. “You can now compare the best drug prices as easily as comparing hotels, Airbnbs or baseball tickets,” he said.
Despite the launch and expansion of TrumpRx, some experts argue that the platform is “not the solution” for many patients.
“Consumers can probably get a cheaper version of these drugs through insurance and pharmacies, or through cash payment services like Cost Plus Drugs, rather than deals offered through TrumpRx,” Sean Sullivan, professor of health economics and policy and former dean of pharmacy at the University of Washington, told the Guardian earlier this year.
Rena Conti, an associate professor of markets, public policy and law at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, echoed those concerns. “Health care in America is really complicated, and even the supply of prescription drugs is really complicated in America,” he said. “And that increased complexity rather than reducing complexity.”
