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In Their Own Words
Will TrumpRx Lower Prescription Drug Prices?
LDI Fellow Argues the Plan Misses Key Drivers of High Costs and Points Instead to Public-Sector Solutions
Print:
This Commentary originally appeared in U.S. News & World Report on March 26, 2026.
Millions of people across the U.S. ration and skip medicines because of an unaffordable system shaped by powerful corporate actors. To tackle this problem, President Donald Trump heralded TrumpRx, a government-branded drug discount website launched a month ago, as “one of the most transformative health care initiatives of all time.”
But the early returns tell a different story: Only 54 drugs are listed on the platform. As Stat News reported earlier this month, web traffic has plummeted from its launch-day peak.
Indeed, patients and policymakers should not confuse a glossy website with real reform. Our work researching drug pricing and healthcare affordability points in a different direction: public-sector innovations already being developed and tested across the country.
The limits of TrumpRx are significant. While the administration pitches the initiative as a transparent marketplace where patients can shop for the best price, it requires out-of-pocket purchasing, which benefits those who can afford to pay. For many drugs on the platform, monthly costs remain substantial. Consider GLP-1 medications for diabetes and weight loss: They still cost $200-$300 per month on TrumpRx, a price point that remains unaffordable for most Americans. And at least half of the drugs already have more affordable generic options available elsewhere.
Read the full Commentary here.
Authors
Victor Roy, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Perelman School of Medicine
Mara Heneghan, MA
Associate Director, Health and Political Economy Project, Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, The New School
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