The Seattle Times has published the first installment of an investigation of drug industry profiteering from orphan drugs. It's called "Pharma's Windfall: The Mining of Rare Diseases." Orphan drugs are pharmaceuticals approved to treat diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 patients in the United States. The federal government gives drug manufacturers multiple incentives to … [Read more...]
HHS Awards $150 Million to Open More Health Centers
Funding to be spread among 236 communities and serve 1.25 million patientsNovember 8, 2013—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced $150 million in awards to support 236 new community health center sites in 43 states. [ms-protect-content id="2799"] Currently, there are about 1,200 health centers that operate more than 9,000 service delivery sites. They provide care to over 21 million patients. The new funding, part of … [Read more...]
Drug Companies Have Completed 6 Audits of 340B Providers
A seventh audit is in progress, HRSA reportsNovember 8, 2013—Drug manufacturers have completed six federally authorized audits of 340B covered entities and government officials are following up with the entities involved to determine what comes next.[ms-protect-content id="2799"] The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provided the status update on 340B audits by manufacturers in response to a Drug … [Read more...]
HRSA Releases 7 More Findings From 340B Provider Audits
Reports pending for only 2 of the 51 audits conducted in 2012November 5, 2013—The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released seven more brief summaries of findings from its audits of 340B covered entities in fiscal year 2012, raising the total to 49 out of 51 audits conducted last year.[ms-protect-content id="2799"] HRSA’s Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) posted the reports on its website late in the day on Nov. … [Read more...]
Newest AIR340B Member Nailed for Fraud
Johnson & Johnson—which less than a week ago was accused in California of cheating on 340B discounts for AIDS drugs—has just agreed to pay $2.2 billion to settle a slew of civil and criminal claims, mainly over the illegal marketing of its antipsychotic Risperdal and several other medicines. It is one of the largest health care fraud settlements in U.S. history, including … [Read more...]
ACA Expands 340B Eligibility but Also Puts Squeeze on Hospitals
Some critics of the 340B drug discount program say it should be phased out because millions of people will get health coverage under health care reform. This argument ignores that other parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are squeezing public and private nonprofit hospitals' finances—making hospitals' continued access to 340B drug discounts more important than … [Read more...]
AIDS Group Files Second Suit Alleging 340B Overcharges
Says Johnson & Johnson wrongly denied it up to $2 million in discountsNovember 1, 2013—The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has filed suit in California against drug manufacturer Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and its Janssen Therapeutics and Janssen Biotech units to recover as much as $2 million in 340B drug discounts that it claims the family of companies failed to provide it between 2005 and 2012.[ms-protect-content id="2799"] AHF filed a … [Read more...]