Elizabeth Warren Questions Lack of Generic Drugs on TrumpRx

One of President Trump’s longtime foes — Senator Elizabeth Warren — claims the administration’s TrumpRx prescription drug website is steering Americans to high-priced brand name drugs while cheaper, generic versions of the drugs are on the market.Mr. Trump launched the website in February as a less expensive way for cash-paying patients to purchase drugs. Like some other sites geared toward patients without prescription coverage, TrumpRx doesn’t directly sell medications but provides coupons or directs consumers to pharmaceutical company websites that offer discounts. Ms. Warren sparred with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last week during a Senate Finance Committee hearing over drug pricing. Much of the media coverage centered on Mr. Kennedy’s attempt to explain the president’s calculation that consumers can enjoy 600 percent savings on drugs purchased through the site. But he was also asked whether people using TrumpRx are being directed to pay for pricey brand name drugs when cheaper generics are available.One example Ms. Warren cited was the heartburn medication Protonix. It costs $200 on TrumpRx, but she says the generic version costs just $16 at Costco.Dr. Jim Kahn is with Physicians for a National Health Program. He called the site a “flimflam.”“That’s exactly what TrumpRx is. You can pay the discounted price for the few covered drugs, or you can buy a generic equivalent for far less,” Dr. Kahn said. “The claimed “600 percent” discount is, of course, nonsensical, innumerate nonsense.”Ms. Warren sent a follow-up letter this week asking Mr. Kennedy for more details on why the website doesn’t provide “a clear indication that cheaper generic drugs may be available.”During the hearing, Mr. Kennedy said, “We will be directing them to the generic” but didn’t give a timeline.Ms. Warren’s letter asked Mr. Kennedy to specify when the website will be updated and in what manner consumers will be alerted about the generics.Ms. Warren also asked for data on how many consumers have visited the site or used it to purchase drugs, since the White House has not released those figures. She is asking for answers by May 28.While Ms. Warren has been critical of the site, others point out that it has made certain drugs substantially more affordable for consumers. “There are some drugs like GLP-1 medications for weight loss or hormonal treatments used in IVF that are often not covered by insurance, and in those cases having options to purchase these drugs at discounted cash prices can be useful,” Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Dr. Benjamin Rome, told the American Journal of Managed Care.The number of drugs listed on TrumpRx has doubled since its February launch and new drugs are still being added. Johnson & Johnson announced last week that it will offer four drugs on the site including one used to treat Type 2 diabetes.Some Republicans are also calling the website a clear win for the president on affordability, giving members of Congress something to point to ahead of the midterm elections.“You’ve had prescription costs go way down,” Senator Eric Schmitt told the Washington Reporter. “Having direct access to that portal so that people can buy the drugs that they need, and having it be cheaper is important.”

Elizabeth Warren Questions Lack of Generic Drugs on TrumpRx

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