President says he’s adding ‘over 600’ prescription drugs to TrumpRx site | Donald Trump

Donald Trump announced a major expansion of his prescription drug website, TrumpRx, saying the number of drugs available through the discount program would increase almost sevenfold.

Experts raised questions earlier this year about the limited number of drugs listed on the site, suggesting they would be aimed at a relatively small group of patients.

In a speech Monday, Trump said his administration was “adding more than 600 affordable generic drugs to the website,” which he said would give consumers “a single source to ensure they get the lowest possible price on their prescription.”

“TrumpRx will offer the best and lowest prices on prescriptions used by tens of millions of Americans already, and in some cases, discounted generics available through TrumpRx may be offered at a cash price even lower than insurance costs,” he said.

Trump added that his administration was developing new tools for the site, including a feature that would connect patients with the cheapest pharmacy in their neighborhood or allow them to have discounted prescriptions shipped directly to their homes.

In a presentation at the event, Joe Gebbia, Trump’s design director, said the website included a section called “Presidential Deals,” featuring “some of the most affordable brand-name drugs” in the country. Gebbia added that consumers can now search for brand-name medications and compare them with generic alternatives.

Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb, 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 rollout and expansion of TrumpRx, some experts say the platform is “not a solution” for many patients.

Speaking to the Guardian earlier this year, Sean Sullivan, a professor of health economics and policy and former dean of pharmacy at the University of Washington, said: “Consumers can likely get a cheaper version of these drugs through insurance and their pharmacies, or through cash-for-pay services like Cost Plus Drugs, rather than through the deals offered through TrumpRx.” »

Rena Conti, associate professor of markets, public policy and law at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business, echoed these concerns. “Health care is really complicated in America, and even the supply of prescription drugs is really complicated in America,” she said. “And that added to the complexity, instead of reducing it. »