President Trump announced a new federal website allowing Americans to purchase prescription drugs directly from pharmaceutical companies at discounted prices.
The Trump administration unveiled TrumpRx.gov on Sept. 30, partnering with Pfizer as the first pharmaceutical company to offer medicines through the platform. The website, expected to launch in early 2026, connects patients directly with manufacturers to eliminate costly middlemen and provides access to drugs at prices closer to those paid by other developed nations.
The initiative stems from Trump’s May 2025 executive order titled “Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients.” The administration argued Americans unfairly subsidize drug development costs worldwide while paying significantly higher prices than consumers in countries like Canada, France, Germany and Japan.
Under the Pfizer agreement, the company will offer direct-to-consumer discounts averaging 50% off list prices for patients not using insurance. Specific medications like Eucrisa, used for atopic dermatitis, will be available at 80% discounts, while Xeljanz for arthritis receives 40% price reductions.
The deal also requires Pfizer to match U.S. prices for new drugs with those offered in other developed countries, and provide most-favored-nation pricing to Medicaid programs. In exchange, Pfizer receives a three-year grace period from pharmaceutical tariffs and commits to investing $70 billion in domestic manufacturing facilities.
On Oct. 10, the administration announced a second agreement with AstraZeneca following similar terms. The deal provided all state Medicaid programs access to most-favored-nation prices on AstraZeneca products, potentially saving hundreds of millions of dollars. Popular inhalers like BEVESPI AEROSPHERE and BREZTRI AEROSPHERE will be available to direct purchasers at discounts up to 654% off deal prices.
Students have expressed mixed reactions to the administration’s drug pricing initiative. “I think that overall there is very little downside to cutting out the middleman and creating lower prices for pharmacy drugs,” said senior Grant Cabay. “The lower prices could help lower-income families who need these drugs but couldn’t afford them before.”
However, some students question whether the approach addresses systemic healthcare issues. “I think that instead of focusing on pharmaceutical companies specifically and trying to reduce the costs because of healthcare, the Trump administration should worry about universalizing healthcare,” voiced senior Natalie Brown. “The problem with drug prices has a large part to do with the insane healthcare policies in America, and if Trump wants to help the American people afford prescriptions, he should make healthcare affordable in the first place.”
Medical policy experts have expressed skepticism about the initiative’s practical benefits. Stacie Dusetzina, a professor of health policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, noted that most medicines the White House touted don’t appear widely used in the U.S. She observed that consumers with health insurance often pay less at pharmacy counters than the discounted direct-purchase prices based on high list prices.
The website targets uninsured Americans who may access lower-cost medications. However, health industry analysts suggest the platform may prove irrelevant for most consumers. “New Trump drug website is likely irrelevant as few will pay out of pocket,” unless insurance policies change, wrote Chris Meekins, managing director of health policy research at Raymond James.
Drug pricing in the U.S. significantly exceeds costs in comparable nations. In 2022, U.S. prices for insulin products were nearly 10 times higher than prices in 33 OECD comparison countries, according to research commissioned by the Department of Health and Human Services. Average gross prices in the U.S. exceeded 10 times the prices in France and the United Kingdom, nearly nine times Italian prices and about seven times German prices.
Brown raised concerns about government involvement in pharmaceutical distribution. “I also do not think the government should be involved with the prescribing of drugs to citizens as it brings issues of privacy and public safety concerns,” she said.
The pharmaceutical industry has responded positively to the initiative. Pfizer’s share price rose seven percent following the announcement, while European pharmaceutical companies, including Merck, Roche and AstraZeneca, saw gains of approximately five percent. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America subsequently launched their own direct-to-consumer website, AmericasMedicines.com.
Additional pharmaceutical companies are expected to negotiate similar agreements with the administration. Swiss companies Novartis and Roche expressed eagerness to work with the Trump administration to make medications more affordable for American patients.
The initiative represents one component of Trump’s broader strategy to reduce prescription drug costs. In July 2025, the administration sent letters to seventeen pharmaceutical companies demanding price reductions, threatening tariffs if companies refused voluntary compliance. The administration has implemented 100% percent tariffs on imported branded pharmaceutical products, exempting companies from establishing domestic production facilities.
Whether TrumpRx achieves meaningful cost reductions for most Americans remains uncertain. The program’s success depends on pharmaceutical company participation, pricing transparency and consumer adoption among those without traditional insurance coverage.
