March 5, 2013—The Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) has extended the 340B recertification deadline for community health centers, hemophilia treatment centers, and five other types of covered entities to March 15.
OPA announced the extension on its 340B covered entity database homepage today.[ms-protect-content id=”2799″] It said the extra time to recertify 340B eligibility applies to Consolidated Health Center Programs, Federally Qualified Health Center Look Alikes, Urban Indian, Tribal Contract/638 Programs, Comprehensive Hemophilia Treatment Centers, Black Lung Programs, and Native Hawaiian Programs.
“Failure to recertify will result in removal from the program,” OPA said.
The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) warned late last month that a “significant number” of centers did not recertify their eligibility for 340B drug discounts by the original Feb. 25 deadline. Recertification is part of the Health Resource Services Administration’s (HRSA) efforts to focus on 340B compliance.
In a member alert on its website yesterday, NACHC urged centers that have not yet reconfirmed their eligibility for 340B drug discounts to “please contact 340b.recertification@hrsa.gov prior to March 15, 2013 if you wish to recertify and remain listed as eligible to participate. … Please include your health center’s 340B ID number in your request for the username and password.”
NACHC repeated its earlier warning that “if a health center does not recertify, it will no longer be determined a covered entity and will become ineligible for the 340B program. If an ineligible health center continues to use, distribute, or purchase 340B drugs, they would be in violation of the program and could suffer financial consequences.”[/ms-protect-content]