The US President is launching a government portal that offers cheaper medicines. This should reduce the cost of living. It is questionable whether this will achieve anything.
afp/dpa | US President Donald Trump has announced the launch of a sales portal for discounted medications named after him. On the “TrumpRx” website, “dozens of the most commonly used prescription medications are available to all consumers at drastic discounts,” said Trump on Thursday (local time) at the presentation of the government portal at the White House.
Trump tried in the face of an impending defeat for his Republicans in the midterm elections in Novemberto address U.S. voters’ anger over the high cost of living.
According to Trump, the US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk have agreed to offer their popular but expensive weight loss products at a reduced price on the site. Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic will be reduced from over $1,000 (848 euros) to $199 per month, while Eli Lilly’s Wegovy will be reduced from $1,300 to $199.
Fertility treatment medications are also listed in the portal. “With these costs, we will have a lot of Trump babies,” said the TV doctor and head of the CMS health authority, Mehmet Öz.
According to the White House, more than 40 discounted medications are currently listed on the “TrumpRx” portal. According to the portal, prices will increase gradually after the first two months. Users can search for the medication they want, print a voucher and show it at pharmacies to purchase the product at a discounted price.
It is unclear whether the portal helps you save
The USA is considered one of the most expensive markets in the world for many medications. Countries in Europe or Asia usually negotiate central maximum prices and regulate the pharmaceutical industry more closely. In the USA, the increased cost of living has been discussed for a long time, with high drug prices being one of many aspects. Trump is faced with criticism that he is paying too much attention to foreign policy issues and neglecting the actual concerns of the people in the country.
The Republican has long wanted to lower drug prices in the USA and is relying on agreements with pharmaceutical companies to achieve this. A number of them had already announced that they would offer medicines at a discount via the platform.
It is unclear how many patients will actually save money by using the portal. An expert told the New York Times that some patients mistakenly think a price is cheap, but could end up worse off financially.
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