President Trump is Lowering Drug Costs for Patients

March Consumer Price Index Shows Lower Costs of Prescription Drugs

As reported in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) released Friday, prescription drug prices marked their first drop in a year—only one month after the creation of TrumpRx. The index for prescription drugs dropped 1.5% from February 2026 to March 2026, pushing down overall medical care by 0.2% over that same window. This is great news for patients who are looking to save money on health care costs.

Ending Freeloading and Saving Money for Patients

On May 12, 2025, President Trump signed the executive order (EO) “Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients.” The EO mandated that the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to the extent feasible, facilitate the creation of direct-to-consumer platforms for patients to purchase prescription drugs. On September 30, 2025, the president announced the creation of TrumpRx, a first-of-its-kind platform for patients to purchase drugs at most-favored-nation pricing. On February 5, 2026, TrumpRx.gov went live, giving patients the opportunity to purchase drugs directly from pharmaceutical companies at reduced prices.

President Trump is Putting an End to Freeloading, Lowering Prices for American Patients

• TrumpRx currently lists about 70 discounted brand-name drugs from many brand-name American pharmaceutical manufacturers—including Pfizer, AbbVie, and Eli Lilly.
  • Patients can purchase drugs directly from the pharmaceutical manufacturers using the TrumpRx coupon—up to 95% off the list price.
  • Even with insurance, patients can pay thousands of dollars in prescription drug costs. Giving patients another option to purchase medication is critical to increasing competition.
  • The Trump Administration is ending freeloading—both by foreign countries and by healthcare middlemen who drive up costs.

March CPI Numbers Show Lower Prescription Drug Prices because of Trump actions

• On April 10, 2026, the monthly Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report on consumer prices showed that between February to March, the index for prescription drugs dropped 1.5%. To calculate this:
  • BLS selects a random sample of retail outlets (e.g., brick and mortar pharmacies, mail-order pharmacies) using the Telephone Point of Purchase Survey, which asks consumers where they shop. Places like nursing homes and long-term care facilities are excluded.
  • At each selected pharmacy, a BLS analyst asks for a list of the last 20 prescriptions dispensed.
  • Once a specific drug and dosage is selected, BLS returns to that pharmacy every month for up to five years and records the total transaction price—meaning the patient's copay/coinsurance plus whatever the insurer (commercial insurance, Medicare Part D) paid the pharmacy.
• Between 2021-2026, only two months showed a significant month-over-month decrease in drug prices: March 2025 (-2.0 percent) and March 2026 (-1.5 percent).

President Trump’s actions, like an increasing number of generic drugs, actions to end global freeloading, and TrumpRx, have put downward pressure on prices.