Expert calls TrumpRx a 'side show’ that won’t benefit most Americans. Here's how to compare options to really save big on prescription drugs

According to a White House press release, the TrumpRx.gov website features at least 40 brand-name medications with discounted prices from five pharmaceutical companies (1). And while the administration highlighted steep discounts on drugs like Wegovy and fertility medications, critics warn the platform has fundamental flaws that could cost consumers money.

The reality check experts don't want you to miss

Sean D. Sullivan, health economist at the University of Washington, didn't hold back when discussing Trump’s drug plan.

"TrumpRx is a side show," Sullivan told The New York Times (2). "I consider it not a real, serious effort in service to lowering prescription drug prices for Americans."

The problem is that TrumpRx only works for cash-paying patients who are not using insurance. Meanwhile, about 84% of Americans have prescription drug coverage, and for most, insurance copays are likely to be cheaper than TrumpRx's cash prices (3).

Even TrumpRx acknowledges this, as each product page comes with a specific warning (4): "If you have insurance, check your copay first — it may be even lower."

Rachel Sachs, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis and former Biden administration drug policy adviser, cautions that TrumpRx could backfire.

"There may be patients who think this is a good deal and then end up financially worse off," she told The Times.

That's because purchases through TrumpRx may not count toward your insurance deductible or out-of-pocket maximum (3), which means even if a TrumpRx price looks lower than your copay, you might save more using insurance, especially with other medical expenses.

Who actually benefits from TrumpRx?

Trump’s drug plan, however, could provide real savings for specific groups of people, particularly those needing obesity drugs and fertility medications that are often not covered by insurance.

Weight loss medications show significant discounts: TrumpRx offers Wegovy pills starting at $149 monthly (down from $1,349) and Zepbound at $299 (down from $1,087), depending on the dosage (5).

Fertility drugs show even steeper cuts: The price of Gonal-F has fallen to as low as $168 on TrumpRx, depending on the dosage. Cetrotide, another popular fertility drug, dropped from $316 to $22.50.

For people paying out-of-pocket for these medications, TrumpRx delivers meaningful savings. But for everything else, better options likely exist.

Mark Cuban's alternative often beats TrumpRx

Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company takes a different approach, selling generic drugs with transparent pricing: manufacturer cost plus a 15% markup, a $5 pharmacy fee and $5.25 for shipping (6).

At the recent Silicon Slopes Summit, Cuban stated his Cost Plus Drug Company beats TrumpRx pricing on 90% of overlapping medications (7).

The key difference: Nine in 10 prescriptions filled in the U.S. are for generic drugs, not the brand names featured on TrumpRx, according to the FDA (8). Simply put, Cost Plus Drug Company's focus on generic drugs is bringing down the price on medications that most Americans actually take.

Don't forget about GoodRx

Additionally, GoodRx offers discounts of up to 80% with its free service (9), and up to 90% with a gold membership ($9.99 monthly for individuals, $19.99 for families).

Shayna Chamberlin, a health care worker from Minnesota, experienced firsthand how these programs deliver real savings. Her monthly prescription dropped from $210 to $37 using GoodRx. "It saved me $300 this year alone," Chamberlin told CBS Minnesota (10).

Testing from The Senior List also found drugs were typically 10% cheaper with GoodRx Gold versus standard GoodRx. For Omeprazole, prices ranged from $4.21 with GoodRx Gold at Costco to $15 at Walmart (9).

Interestingly, GoodRx announced it's a "key integration partner" for companies offering discounts through TrumpRx (11), meaning TrumpRx uses GoodRx technology.

How to actually save money on prescriptions

With an action plan like the one detailed below, you can find legitimate savings on prescription drugs.