July 21, 2010 - The federal Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) cautioned Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) against offsetting repayments to 340B covered entities for overcharges on products sold between 1998 and 2005 with underpayments it says the entities made during the same timeframe. Public Health Service Lieut. Cmdr. Devin Williams, an OPA program manager, disclosed the warning … [Read more...]
Preliminary Data Show 9.4% Decline in 340B Prices
First effects of health care reform are showing up in third quarter pricing.July 21, 2010 - 340B covered entities are now paying 9.44 percent less on average for prescription drugs than they were in April and May due to changes in the calculation of 340B ceiling prices that took immediate effect with the enactment of health care reform in late March. Christopher Hatwig, vice president of Apexus/340B Prime Vendor Program (PVP), announced the … [Read more...]
Emotions Surface During 340B Conference Session on Orphan Drugs
Mitchell asks drug company representative if it is going to block hospitals' access to discounts.July 21, 2010 - The man who just days ago led the federal Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) pointedly asked an official of a firm that specializes in orphan drugs yesterday if his company was prepared to add staff and use computer screening tools to block children's and rural hospitals from buying such drugs at their 340B discounted prices. The tough question that former OPA … [Read more...]
Standing-Room Only at Introduction to 340B Session
Capacity crowd suggests newfound appreciation of drug discount program.July 20, 2010 - The introduction to 340B session has been a reasonably well-attended mainstay of 340B Coalition annual conferences for all 14 years of the event's existence. But even long-time attendees say they couldn't recall ever seeing a gathering this large for the three-hour crash course, typically held just prior to the conference's official opening session. Roughly … [Read more...]
Rx School Dean Calls for Pharmacists to Fill Some Roles of M.D.s
Applauds OPA's patient safety initiative in Wall Street Journal op-ed.July 20, 2010 - Pharmacists should be allowed to fill some of the traditional oversight roles of physicians to help care for the estimated 30 million more patients who will be insured under the health reform law passed earlier this year, the dean of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Southern California argued yesterday in an essay in The Wall Street Journal. R. … [Read more...]
PSSC Announces New “Peer to Peer” Network
Quality improvement and program integrity effort to be launched this fall.July 20, 2010 - The Pharmacy Services and Support Center (PSSC) is launching an initiative this fall to connect high-achieving 340B providers with others to help them become "leading practice sites," the center's newly elevated vice president announced today. Lisa Scholz, who until days ago held the title of PSSC senior director, announced the effort yesterday during the … [Read more...]
Enrollment for New Categories of 340B Providers to Begin Aug. 2
July 20, 2010 - Rural hospitals that became eligible for 340B drug discounts under health care reform will finally be allowed to begin enrolling in the program starting Aug. 2. Dr. Mary Wakefield, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), made the announcement yesterday to a round of applause during the 340B Coalition annual conference in … [Read more...]