The White House is reportedly discussing a website where patients could purchase discounted prescription drugs.
This site — which would potentially carry President Donald Trump’s brand — would allow consumers to buy their medications straight from pharmaceutical companies, Bloomberg News reported Friday (Sept. 19), citing sources familiar with the talks.
The effort follows the administration’s demands that drug companies cut prices to put them in keeping with those of other developed countries, the sources said.
The proposed website would let patients search for specific medicines and connect with platforms that sell them, the sources added. They said that officials have discussed creating a Trump brand for the website, with “TrumpRx” among the names being considered.
According to the report, the discussions are happening ahead of a Sept. 29 deadline for drugmakers to meet Trump’s demand to reduce prices on some widely used medicines.
“Any reporting on internal deliberations is pure speculation until an official announcement is made by us,” Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement, adding that the administration was “fully dedicated to delivering most-favored-nation pricing and lowering drug costs for the American people.”
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A spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) told Bloomberg the agency does not comment on internal deliberations.
“CMS is committed to carrying out President Trump’s directive to lower prescription drug prices by ensuring Americans can access medications at fairer, more transparent prices and holding the pharmaceutical industry accountable,” the spokesperson said.
This is happening at a time when consumers across age groups are increasingly turning to digital resources for their healthcare needs.
For example, the PYMNTS Intelligence/Lynx report, “The Digital Platform Promise: What Baby Boomers and Seniors Want From Digital Healthcare Platforms” found that more than 80% of consumers want to use digital platforms to access pharmacy benefits like discount cards, and to compare information about health insurance plans and benefits.
Meanwhile, PYMNTS “How the World Does Digital” study found that younger consumers are leading the pack when it comes to digital healthcare.
“On average, Gen Z logged 63 digital healthcare-related activity days a month — 20 days more than the average consumer — underscoring how digital has become an integral part of their approach to health and wellness,” PYMNTS wrote earlier this year.