TrumpRx, the president’s direct-to-patient (DTP) purchasing platform for pharmaceutical drugs, was launched late last week to a controversial reception. The New Republic called it a “Big Fat Scam,” but it is now up to the public to decide, with it making its first appearance as a supposed market restructurer.
For decades, the American government has played a powerful but disciplined role in healthcare markets. At first, it was a passive purchaser, then a coverage expander, and only recently has it become a price negotiator, albeit in a limited capacity. However, TrumpRx, which seeks for pharmaceutical companies to grant the U.S. “most favored nation” status, is a departure from these models and signals a continued shift toward government market interventionism.
