October 7, 2016—The Health Resources and Services Administration audited 200 healthcare providers for compliance with 340B drug discount program requirements in the just-ended fiscal year, HRSA says. Audits are just one of the tools HRSA uses to make sure providers follow 340B’s rules. [ms-protect-content id=”2799″]
Federal fiscal year 2016 ended on Sept. 30. The FY 16 audit total matches the 200 provider audits HRSA performed in FY 2015. HRSA began auditing providers for 340B program compliance in the second quarter of FY 2012. The new grand total is 644.
HRSA said last year’s audits encompassed 4,011 outpatient facilities/sub-grantees and 3,531 contract pharmacy locations. Last February, HRSA told congressional appropriators that the 444 audits conducted it had performed from FY 12 through FY 15 included review of 5,324 offsite outpatient facilities and 11,268 contract pharmacies.
In addition to auditing providers in the 340B program, HRSA checks providers’ eligibility when they register and requires participants to recertify their eligibility annually, including attesting to compliance with all 340B requirements.
Last July, HRSA Office of Pharmacy Affairs Director Capt. Krista Pedley reported that OPA was seeing “great” downward trends in adverse audit findings and was “comfortable” the pattern would continue.
HRSA said it audited five drug manufacturers for compliance with 340B program requirements in FY 16. It audited one manufacturer in FY 15. [/ms-protect-content]