Explainers
What the latest changes in drug pricing and pharmacy mean for someone filling a prescription, or running a pharmacy. Each one is dated and sourced.
- For patients
TrumpRx explained: what it covers, and when comparing pharmacies still matters
TrumpRx.gov lists cash offers that drugmakers agreed to under the administration’s pricing deals, mostly as coupons you take to a pharmacy or links to a manufacturer’s own site. Here is how it works, what it does not cover, and how it fits with getting quotes for the rest of your prescriptions.
- For patients
Your pharmacy is closing: where your prescriptions go and how to move them
Chain closures have reshaped where Americans fill prescriptions: Rite Aid closed every store, and Walgreens has kept closing locations, though at a slower pace in 2026. When a pharmacy closes, your prescription records usually move to another pharmacy automatically, and you are free to move them again. Here is how.
- For patients
GLP-1 prices in 2026: the self-pay programs, the new pills, and the Medicare bridge
The cost of Wegovy, Zepbound and the newer GLP-1 pills has changed more in 2026 than in any year since they launched: two oral options, manufacturer self-pay programs priced by dose, a Medicare bridge program and an announced list-price cut. Here is what changed and what it means if you pay yourself.
- Patients and pharmacies
PBM reform in 2026: what the new federal law changes, and when
In February 2026 Congress passed the first major federal reform of pharmacy benefit managers in decades, inside the appropriations act that ended a partial shutdown. Some changes are under way; many of the protections for pharmacies arrive in 2028. Here is what it does for patients and for independent pharmacies.
- For patients
Flu antivirals this season: why speed matters more than price
Flu treatment works best when it starts within two days of the first symptoms, so the pharmacy that has oseltamivir in stock today is usually worth more than one that is slightly cheaper tomorrow. Here is who should be treated, the options, and how to fill a prescription quickly.
- For patients
Medicare Part D in 2027: a higher cap and deductible, and fifteen newly negotiated drugs
Medicare open enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026, and the drug benefit changes on January 1: the out-of-pocket cap and the deductible both rise, negotiated prices reach fifteen more drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy, and premium support for stand-alone drug plans ends. Here is what to check before choosing a plan.
- For patients
New generics in 2026: dapagliflozin, sitagliptin, rivaroxaban, and how to get the generic price
Several of the most prescribed brand drugs gained generic competition in 2026: dapagliflozin (Farxiga) in April, sitagliptin (Januvia and Janumet) by July, and more strengths of rivaroxaban (Xarelto) through the year. The first months after a generic launches are when cash prices vary most. Here is how to make sure you actually get the generic, and at a fair price.