--- title: "US prescription drug prices fall 3.1% in year to July, steepest drop since 1963" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/health/us-prescription-drug-prices-fall-31-in-year-to-july-steepest-drop-since-1963" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-prescription-drug-prices-fall-31-in-year-to-july-steepest-drop-since-1963" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/health/us-prescription-drug-prices-fall-31-in-year-to-july-steepest-drop-since-1963.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-prescription-drug-prices-fall-31-in-year-to-july-steepest-drop-since-1963" category: "Health" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-18T08:05:35.970Z" source_reported: "2026-08-17T22:21:15.000Z" updated: "2026-08-18T08:05:35.970Z" trust_score: 55 critic_score: 55 hype_score: 55 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-18T09:00:27.634187+00:00" --- # US prescription drug prices fall 3.1% in year to July, steepest drop since 1963 *Trump administration and Biden-era Medicare negotiations both credited by different outlets for the decline* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 55 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports disagree on attribution; digests corroborate but lack sourcing. - Craft 55 of 100, higher is better. Quotes and figures present but not all sides given right of reply. - Hype 55 of 100, lower is better. Headlines overstate attribution; body tempers claims. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Prescription drug prices in the US fell 3.1% in the year to July 2026, the steepest annual decline since 1963, according to federal inflation data. - The White House credited Trump administration policies, including the Most Favored Nation rule and the TrumpRx platform, for the drop. - Independent experts, as reported by Axios, attributed the decline to Medicare drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act, a Biden-era policy. - Pfizer committed to discounts of up to 85% on several drugs as part of the TrumpRx platform, reducing prices for treatments including Duavee and Tobias. Prescription drug prices in the United States fell 3.1% over the 12 months ending in July 2026, the largest annual decline recorded since 1963. The drop was confirmed in federal inflation data released in August. The White House issued a statement on 17 August attributing the decline to policies implemented during the Trump administration, including the Most Favored Nation rule and the TrumpRx platform, which lists discounts for uninsured patients. Pfizer announced discounts of up to 85% on several drugs through the TrumpRx platform. The menopause treatment Duavee was reduced to $30 per prescription, while the overactive bladder drug Tobias fell to $42. The eczema ointment Eucrisia was discounted by 80%, to $162 per tube. The migraine drug Zavzpret and rheumatoid arthritis treatment Xeljanz also saw price cuts of 50% and 40%, respectively. Axios reported that independent experts credited Medicare drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act, a policy introduced during the Biden administration, for contributing to the decline. The White House spokesman Kush Desai dismissed this claim as "idiotic and unfounded," according to the New York Post. ## Disagreement over what caused the price drop Outlets disagreed on which administration’s policies were responsible for the decline in prescription drug prices. The New York Post reported that the White House attributed the drop to Trump administration policies, including the Most Favored Nation rule and the TrumpRx platform. Der Standard and Axios, however, reported that independent experts credited Medicare drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act, a Biden-era policy, for the decline. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mentioned the role of Medicare drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act in the price decline. The New York Post’s full report dismissed the claim as "idiotic and unfounded" but did not include the perspective of independent experts who supported it. None of the left-rated reports included the White House’s dismissal of the Biden-era policy’s impact. ## Who covered it Shares of the 11 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 18% (2) - Centre: 18% (2) - Right: 64% (7) 4 of 15 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-18T09:00:27.634187+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-18T09:45:16.285Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The two left-rated reports led on the role of Biden-era policies in the price decline. Der Standard’s full report stated that while Trump claimed credit for the drop, "experts see it as a long-term achievement of Donald Trump’s predecessor." The outlet quoted unnamed experts who attributed the decline to policies introduced during the Biden administration. Axios’s digest reported that independent experts credited Medicare drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act for the decline. ### Centre - The centre-rated report, from Political Wire, led on the scale of the price decline. Its digest stated, "America is experiencing its biggest prescription drug price deflation in generations," citing Axios. The report framed the decline as part of a "major Washington push to lower drug costs" but did not attribute the cause to either administration. ### Right - The seven right-rated digests all led on the Trump administration’s role in the price decline. The New York Post’s full report quoted the White House stating that Trump had "delivered" on his promise to slash prescription drug prices. The report described the decline as the result of Trump’s "pressure on drug companies," including threats of tariffs and the establishment of the TrumpRx platform. It quoted the White House email: "New data confirms prescription drug prices just recorded their largest annual decline in more than 60 years." - The National Pulse’s digest reported a 3.9% decline in prescription drug prices since Trump took office, though this figure was not corroborated by other outlets. Real News Now and the NRCC both credited the Trump administration’s policies, including the Most Favored Nation rule and the TrumpRx platform, for the decline. RedState’s digest noted that Trump celebrated the drop while the media "feverishly works to credit Biden." **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 4 - mixed: 3 - high: 3 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [South Florida Reporter](https://southfloridareporter.com/prescription-drug-prices-are-finally-dropping-what-it-means-for-you) — Prescription Drug Prices Are Finally Dropping: What It Means for You - [The National Pulse](https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/08/17/trump-achieves-historic-60-year-low-in-prescription-drug-prices) — Trump Achieves Historic 60-Year Low in Prescription Drug Prices. - [realnewsnow.com](https://realnewsnow.com/trump-white-house-celebrates-prescription-drug-prices-falling-3-1-steepest-drop-since-1963) — Trump White House Celebrates Prescription Drug Prices Falling 3.1%, Steepest Drop Since 1963 - Real News Now - [Moncloa](https://moncloa.com/2026/08/17/precios-medicamentos-eeuu-caida-1963-3416784) — White House Announces the Biggest Drop in Drug Prices in the US Since 1963 and Reopens Debate with Europe - [NRCC](https://nrcc.org/2026/08/17/republicans-deliver-60-year-low-in-drug-prices) — Republicans Deliver 60-Year Low in Drug Prices - [eciks.org](https://eciks.org/21535-white-house-drug-prices-drop) — White House announces largest prescription drug price drop in 60 years - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/08/17/us-news/white-house-takes-victory-lap-as-drug-prices-dip-3-1-in-past-year-steepest-drop-since-1963) — White House takes victory lap as drug prices dip 3.1% in past year: ‘Steepest drop since 1963’ - [PJ Media](https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2026/08/17/trump-reveals-yuge-win-on-drug-prices-n4956230) — Trump Reveals YUGE Win on Drug Prices - [RedState](https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2026/08/17/prescription-drug-prices-plummet-as-the-media-feverishly-works-to-credit-biden-n2205700) — Trump Celebrates Plummeting Prescription Drug Prices As the Media Feverishly Works to Credit Biden - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/17/why-prescription-drug-prices-are-plunging) — Why prescription drug prices are plunging - [Axios](https://axios.com/2026/08/17/drug-prices-medicare-trump) — Why prescription drug prices are plunging - [Free Press Kashmir](https://freepresskashmir.news/2026/08/17/trump-touts-drug-price-drop-despite-experts-crediting-biden-era-policy) — Trump touts drug price drop despite experts crediting Biden-era policy - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/17/why-prescription-drug-prices-are-plunging) — Why Prescription Drug Prices Are Plunging - [der Standard AT](https://derstandard.at/story/3000000335778/trump-prahlt-mit-artikel-zu-fallenden-arzneimittel-preisen-im-text-loben-experten-biden-dafuer) — Trump Brags About Falling Drug Prices with Articles. In the Text, Experts Praise Biden for This - [der Standard DE](https://derstandard.de/story/3000000335778/trump-prahlt-mit-artikel-zu-fallenden-arzneimittel-preisen-im-text-loben-experten-biden-dafuer) — Trump Brags About Falling Drug Prices with Articles. In the Text, Experts Praise Biden for This ## Questions **What caused the 3.1% drop in US prescription drug prices?** The White House attributed the decline to Trump administration policies, including the Most Favored Nation rule and the TrumpRx platform. Independent experts, as reported by Axios, credited Medicare drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act, a Biden-era policy. Outlets disagreed on which administration’s policies were responsible. **How much did prescription drug prices fall in the US?** Prescription drug prices in the US fell 3.1% over the 12 months ending in July 2026, the steepest annual decline since 1963. The drop was recorded in federal inflation data and confirmed by multiple outlets, including the New York Post and Axios. **Which drugs saw the largest price cuts under the TrumpRx platform?** Pfizer committed to discounts of up to 85% on several drugs through the TrumpRx platform. The menopause treatment Duavee was reduced to $30, the overactive bladder drug Tobias to $42, and the eczema ointment Eucrisia to $162 per tube. The migraine drug Zavzpret and rheumatoid arthritis treatment Xeljanz also saw price cuts. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/health/us-prescription-drug-prices-fall-31-in-year-to-july-steepest-drop-since-1963. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US prescription drug prices fall 3.1% in year to July, steepest drop since 1963", https://mediabias.news/health/us-prescription-drug-prices-fall-31-in-year-to-july-steepest-drop-since-1963