Dr Mercola
Prescription drugs in the U.S. cost nearly 2.78 times more than in other developed countries, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services analyzed by RAND Health Care.1 That means a medication costing $100 in Germany could cost close to $300 in the U.S. The disparity is even worse for brand-name drugs, which are often more than 3.22 times higher than in peer nations.
For millions of Americans, these inflated prices aren’t just inconvenient — they’re devastating. They force hard choices between filling a prescription or paying for food, rent, or other essentials. For decades, pharmaceutical companies have defended these prices by claiming that Americans fund the world’s research and development. The result is a system where U.S. consumers subsidize cheaper drugs for other nations while paying the highest prices on Earth.
It’s a pattern that has persisted across administrations and political divides, despite repeated promises to lower costs. Even as new therapies enter the market, they often do so first in the U.S. — at the highest price point — locking patients into a system that prioritizes profit over access.
President Donald Trump’s administration is now taking another run at this problem with TrumpRx, a government-run website designed to lower drug prices through direct-to-consumer sales. Pfizer is the first major partner to sign on, pledging to sell many drugs at discounts of up to 50% and to match prices charged in other wealthy countries.2
TrumpRx represents an attempt to bypass the middlemen — insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and wholesalers — who drive much of the current cost inflation. This effort marks a major shift in how Americans might one day access prescription medications, setting the stage for a broader conversation about why U.S. drug prices are so high and what it will take to finally change them.
TrumpRx Introduces Direct-to-Consumer Drug Discounts
As reported by MSN, on September 30, 2025, President Trump announced the creation of TrumpRx, a direct-to-consumer website where Americans could purchase discounted prescription drugs. It’s expected to launch in 2026.3
Pfizer agreed to reduce prices for many medications and adopt “Most Favored Nation” pricing — meaning U.S. consumers would pay no more than patients in other wealthy countries. President Trump stated, “The United States is done subsidizing the health care of the rest of the world.” His goal was to end what he called global price gouging and make drug costs fairer for American families.
• Pfizer agreed to major concessions that include large discounts and U.S. manufacturing investments — Under the agreement, Pfizer committed to selling many primary care and specialty drugs at an average of half off list prices through TrumpRx.
The company also pledged to expand domestic manufacturing, investing $70 billion in U.S. facilities while receiving a three-year exemption from certain import tariffs. This partnership reflects a major policy tradeoff — lower prices for American consumers in exchange for incentives that keep pharmaceutical production within the U.S.
• The TrumpRx website will serve as a bridge, not a pharmacy — The administration clarified that TrumpRx.gov will not directly sell or ship medications. Instead, it will act as a searchable portal connecting users to the drugmaker’s own direct-sales channels.
This approach bypasses conventional insurance systems, allowing uninsured or underinsured Americans to access lower cash prices. For those with insurance, however, the discounts might not always beat negotiated plan prices. Health policy expert Chris Meekins noted, “New Trump drug website is likely irrelevant as few will pay out of pocket,” highlighting that insured patients generally pay less through their existing coverage.
• Experts question whether the price cuts will reach the patients who need them most — Analysts pointed out that while TrumpRx could benefit uninsured individuals, insured Americans — who represent roughly 92% of the population — are unlikely to see significant changes.4
Vanderbilt University’s Stacie Dusetzina said the program’s featured drugs, such as Pfizer’s rheumatoid arthritis medication Xeljanz, are often costly even after the TrumpRx discount. For example, a 40% discount on a $6,000 monthly list price would still leave patients paying about $3,600 per month, far beyond what most households can afford.
• The initiative revives Trump’s long-standing push for “Most Favored Nation” pricing — Trump has spent years pressuring pharmaceutical companies to tie U.S. prices to those charged in other countries. He previously attempted to enforce this through executive action during his first term but faced legal and political resistance.
The revived plan directs drugmakers to match their lowest international “net price,” which includes rebates and discounts, across major markets such as Canada, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. By linking U.S. pricing to these benchmarks, the administration hopes to create a global standard that discourages overcharging Americans.
• The pharmaceutical industry is wary of the ripple effects — Industry group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) warned that these pricing policies could have unintended consequences.
Companies could raise prices in foreign markets to offset U.S. discounts or limit drug availability in countries with strict price controls. Still, the administration appears willing to accept those outcomes to prioritize American consumers.
Trump’s Executive Order Promises Up to 80% Drug Price Reductions for Americans
TrumpRx didn’t emerge in isolation — it’s the direct outcome of President Trump’s sweeping executive order announced May 11, 2025.5 That order laid the legal and economic foundation for TrumpRx by reinstating his earlier “Most Favored Nation” pricing policy, compelling drugmakers to charge Americans no more than patients in other developed nations. The website and the broader pricing reform are two parts of the same initiative — one setting the rules, the other putting them into practice.
• A new executive order set the stage for TrumpRx and immediate price cuts — President Trump called it “one of the most consequential Executive Orders in our Country’s history,” and said this policy would lower prescription costs in the U.S. by 30% to 80%, while prices abroad would rise to create global balance. This order became the framework for TrumpRx, which puts the policy into motion through direct manufacturer access for consumers.
• The policy targets high-cost drugs under Medicare Part B, offering relief to older adults and those with chronic diseases — Medicare Part B covers outpatient treatments, including costly infusion therapies and specialty drugs prescribed for cancer, autoimmune disease, and rare disorders. Under the executive order, these medications must be sold at the lowest adjusted international rate, making them more affordable for seniors and those managing lifelong conditions.
• Projected savings could reach $87 billion within seven years — A prior version of Trump’s Most Favored Nation rule, first introduced in 2020, was estimated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to save $87.8 billion for federal and state governments, as well as Medicare beneficiaries, over seven years. Though that version was halted by legal challenges, the 2025 order revives it with broader enforcement powers and a direct consumer mechanism through TrumpRx.
• Bipartisan support is emerging for international price parity — Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced a bill on May 5, 2025, mirroring Trump’s initiative. Their proposal would fine drug companies 10 times the difference if they sell medications in the U.S. at prices higher than those in Canada, Germany, Japan, or other peer nations. The growing cross-party support signals a cultural shift toward price fairness across the political spectrum.
• This is more than a pricing reform — it’s a restructuring of global drug economics — President Trump acknowledged that global drug prices might rise as the U.S. enforces parity, but said this was “fair” after decades of Americans paying inflated costs. For consumers, the combination of the executive order and TrumpRx could finally halt annual price hikes and make access to essential medications simpler, without rebate games or insurance barriers.
TrumpRx Is a Global Drug Pricing Strategy, Not Just a Website
As reported by The Kingston report, written by Karen Kingston, a med-legal advisor and biotech analyst, the TrumpRx.gov website is only one component of a much larger initiative aimed at overhauling global drug pricing and manufacturing.6 The “Most Favored Nation” pricing model is designed to end the long-standing system where U.S. patients pay inflated costs while other countries benefit from deep discounts.
• TrumpRx aims to cut national drug spending while reshoring pharmaceutical manufacturing —Americans and the federal government spent roughly $500 billion on prescription drugs in 2024 — half a trillion dollars in a single year.
TrumpRx seeks to reduce that figure by at least 50% while maintaining U.S. leadership in biopharma innovation. To achieve this, the plan calls for a $500 billion reinvestment in domestic research and manufacturing, reducing reliance on foreign supply chains, particularly China.
• The plan introduces direct access programs for Americans in need — The report noted that TrumpRx will allow uninsured or financially struggling patients to buy medications directly from manufacturers at reduced prices — or in some cases, receive them for free. These direct-to-patient programs cut out middlemen such as insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, ensuring that savings reach those who need them most.
• Industry insiders confirm dramatic international price disparities that the policy seeks to fix —Drawing on her own experience in pharmaceutical pricing negotiations, Kingston described how, in some countries, U.S.-made drugs were sold for little more than the cost of packaging.
She called these practices “massive losses” for American manufacturers — companies that were forced by international policy to sell at near giveaway prices abroad while charging far more domestically. The TrumpRx plan seeks to level this imbalance, making pricing consistent worldwide without punishing American consumers.
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Via https://www.globalresearch.ca/trumprx-prescription-website-launch-2026/5905381
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