Q&A: TrumpRx Could Change the Way Pharmacies, PBMs Do Business

In September, the Trump Administration announced a partnership with Pfizer as well as the brand-new direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug platform known as TrumpRx.¹ Attempting to revolutionize the distribution of medications in the US, experts are unraveling the potential impact TrumpRx may have on drug supply chain entities—from manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to pharmacists and the patients themselves.

“We shouldn't have systems that penalize the sick in order to make the healthy have more money in their pocket,” John C. Goodman, senior fellow at the Independent Institute and president of the Goodman Institute for Public Policy Research, told Drug Topics.

While the rollout of TrumpRx is still being prepared, we caught up with Goodman to tap into his expertise as a health care economist. With extensive insights into the roles of PBMs, insurance plans, manufacturers, pharmacies, and drug pricing in general, Goodman shared his thoughts on the unprecedented new avenues of drug dispensing TrumpRx could be introducing.

READ MORE: TrumpRx Promising Direct-to-Consumer Drugs for Discounted Prices

Drug Topics: With this administration’s push to the DTC model, as well as other companies starting to introduce new models, these key drug supply chain events can have a monumental impact on community pharmacies and their dispensing services. How is the TrumpRx platform expected to impact pharmacy businesses?

John C. Goodman: I think the pharmacies are going to lose out to the Mark Cubans, unless they can find a way to pass on the low price to the consumers. Now, some of the PBMs are now saying, we'll give the discount to the employee at the pharmaceutical counter, if the employer wants to do that. That would mean slightly higher premiums for the drug insurance. But when people who need drugs go to the pharmacy, they get the best price.

I think you're going to find a lot of employers think that that's a deal worth making. We shouldn't have systems that penalize the sick in order to make the healthy have more money in their pocket.

Drug Topics: Through things like TrumpRx, do you truly believe the US government has the capacity to step in and correct US drug prices—a financial issue within the US that has been ongoing and has only gotten worse in recent history?

John C. Goodman: There's a difference between the Biden approach and the Trump approach. What Biden did is he acquired the right to negotiate drug prices with drug companies. But the way that worked, if the drug company doesn't agree to what the government wants, they're going to impose a tax on the drug company. So that's not real negotiation, that's just price-fixing by the government.

The Trump approach is real negotiation. The important difference is that if a drug company doesn't agree to a price, they can walk away. That must always be there if you want the negotiation to be real. That's what happens when pharmaceutical companies negotiate with the governments abroad. If they can't come to an agreement, the company just walks away and doesn't sell the drug for several years in the country. Eventually, they do come to some agreement, but it's important that drug companies have the freedom to walk away. What we're going to find, with the individual purchase, is we're going to get something pretty close to a free market pricing for drugs.

READ MORE: White House Strikes Deal with Pfizer for Lower Drug Prices, Online DTC Website

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REFERENCE

Nowosielski B. White House strikes deal with Pfizer for lower drug prices, online DTC website. Drug Topics. September 30, 2025. Accessed December 2, 2025. https://www.drugtopics.com/view/white-house-strikes-deal-with-pfizer-for-lower-drug-prices-online-dtc-website