NCPA: MFN is Part of a Bigger Solution that Includes PBM Reform

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Sept. 30, 2025) - President Trump's announcement today of an agreement with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer to bring down U.S. drug prices is a step in the right direction, but it won't solve the problem unless he and Congress also get tough on the pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and insurance companies that are rigging the system, said the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) today.

"The president is absolutely right that American patients and taxpayers should not be subsidizing lower drug prices around the world," said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey. "He is also right that we need to reduce our reliance on foreign countries that now supply the active ingredients for some of our most critical drugs. However, we don't want the president or Congress to lose their focus on reforming the health insurance/PBM conglomerates that have created this crisis in the first place."

In addition to the Pfizer agreement (the administration is currently negotiating with other companies on similar deals), the White House also rolled out TrumpRx, which it says will allow patients to buy some drugs online at lower rates negotiated by the government. Several of the big drug makers already sell some of their drugs directly to consumers. The proliferation of websites, said Hoey, is an attempt to bypass PBMs and insurance companies that make massive profits from a confusing web of schemes that raise drug costs for patients and taxpayers. But it doesn't solve the problem for the millions of Americans with prescription drug coverage whose drug costs are hyperinflated by rebates, fees and other PBM deceptive practices because these direct-to-consumer programs are cash-based models.

"The insurance companies and their PBMs get paid more when patients and taxpayers pay more. That's the problem. All these manufacturer websites are workarounds. They don't fix the heart of the problem," said Hoey. "Reforming the way PBMs and insurance companies operate is the only solution. There's a reform package in Congress that has wide bipartisan support. Congress should pass it now. With the president's signature, Americans will benefit from the lower prescription drug prices they deserve."

Hoey also stressed that any solution must preserve the patient-pharmacist relationship.

"While there are very few details, TrumpRx appears to bypass the relationship between patients and their local physicians and pharmacists. Direct-to-Patient programs can be dangerous," he said. "A website can't counsel patients, recognize other potential health risks, or follow up to make sure patients are taking their medicines at the right time and in the right amount. The unreliability, unpredictability, and risks of mail order drugs is already well documented. We strongly support the president's goal of lowering drug prices, which is why we urge him to maintain his focus on PBM reform even as he implements these new programs."

For more information about NCPA, please visit https://www.ncpa.org.

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