PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS +++

PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS Stat: TrumpRx: High Expectations, But Limited Impact A Month After Launch https://www.statnews.com/2026/03/05/trumprx-high-expectations-limited-impact/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_9YwAE-6lOg_WUwuS8jS4wqSMGaTaq9w6BfOIlZCfu6bQZbuBklXrkfFoiTE09XxKSVHPp8AnUJZCbddnEZd9Cnrf1zQ&_hsmi=407097068&utm_content=407097068&utm_source=hs_email President Trump heralded his signature drug discount platform, TrumpRx, as “one of the most transformative health care initiatives of all time.” But a month after its launch, few drugs are available, data about how much the site is being used remains unknown, and the private deals underlying TrumpRx are still being worked out. The reality of the early days of the platform comes in sharp contrast to the soaring expectations set by the president, who cast a vision for unprecedented cuts to how much people pay for medications, pharmaceutical market experts and patient advocates said. (Payne, 3/5) Modern Healthcare: GoodRx Employer Direct Offering Takes On Crowded PBM Market https://www.modernhealthcare.com/insurance/mh-goodrx-employer-direct-pbm-drug-pricing/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8RZNM6AYU_-cKtHQWuZejB3h7PeMQiSpIaKQjm5nM-l3pzCaI9JgpNvoeGQB9lrsWVp3xpJf7KBJdBL1fHgorCw-80YA&_hsmi=407097068&utm_content=407097068&utm_source=hs_email Once contained to traditional pharmacy benefit arrangements, a proliferation of alternative offerings is reshaping the drug pricing market. Employers and patients, fatigued by rising prices and frustrated by insurance intermediaries, are turning to new marketplaces and vendors. Last month, drug pricing platform GoodRx announced its entry into the crowded field. These models are prompting some employers to rethink their reliance on the big, traditional pharmacy benefit managers CVS Caremark, Optum Rx and Express Scripts, respectively owned by insurers CVS Health, UnitedHealth Group and Cigna. (Tong, 3/4) Fierce Healthcare: Hospitals Decry Drugmakers' Expanded 340B Reporting Policies https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/providers/hospitals-decry-drugmakers-expanded-claims-reporting-policies-340b?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--nWiWvEfuwzb8ywOsor4k0emI_1ykONl3a2PG1GXmmFsdU2FcRXYGxiPU8vwzrupu5m3RS8WrK5kXx6EE6B-xJKsvL9A&_hsmi=407097068&utm_content=407097068&utm_source=hs_email The hospital lobby is asking federal officials to head off expanded data collection policies some drugmakers are implementing for providers participating in the 340B drug discount program. The change was first broached by Eli Lilly and Company in January, and requires all types of covered entities to provide claims level data for all pharmacy and medical dispensations of most of the company’s drugs, including in-house pharmacy and contract pharmacy dispenses. It went into effect on Feb. 1, with exemptions for a handful of states where such policies are restricted by law. (Muoio, 3/4)