September 19, 2013—Only 56 of the roughly 2,000 hospitals enrolled in the 340B drug discount program did not recertify their eligibility by a Sept. 13 deadline and will be removed from the program effective Oct. 1, an analysis of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) 340B covered entity database shows.[ms-protect-content … [Read more...]
Drug Company Attorneys Urge More Government Scrutiny of 340B
Manufacturers advised to begin thinking now about forthcoming "mega" regulationSeptember 18, 2013—Health care providers in the 340B drug discount program should be subject to far more government scrutiny and drug companies should have more power to look at 340B covered entities' books, attorneys who represent drug companies in 340B matters said during a major drug industry conference in Chicago last week.[ms-protect-content id="2799"] Speaking at the … [Read more...]
340B “Mega” Rule Will Exclude Some Program Elements
Items that Congress hasn't funded will be left out, Pedley saysSeptember 17, 2013—The forthcoming comprehensive regulation for the 340B drug discount program will not include provisions that Congress added to the program in 2010 but did not explicitly fund, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) Director Cmdr. Krista Pedley said last week at a major meeting of drug manufacturers in … [Read more...]
Fla. Newspaper Publishes Response to Anti-340B Commentary
In late August, the South Florida Sun Sentinel published an op-ed lambasting the 340B program by Peter Pitts of the innocuous sounding Center for Medicine in the Public Interest. The commentary neglected to mention that "center" is heavily financed by drug companies and that Pitts himself has spent a good amount of his career as a PR executive for the drug industry. Pitts' … [Read more...]
AIDS Group Accuses Glaxo of $2.2 Million in 340B Overcharges
Files suit in California court to recover alleged overpayments from 2005 through 2013September 13, 2013 –AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has filed suit against drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) claiming that the drug maker violated California law when it reportedly declined to credit AHF for alleged overpayments exceeding $2 million over nine years on 340B covered outpatient drugs.[ms-protect-content id="2799"] GSK did not respond to a request for … [Read more...]
Apexus Launches New 340B FAQ Format
Technical assistance resource is now searchable by keywordSeptember 12, 2013—Apexus, the prime vendor for entities participating in the 340B program, has remodeled its website's frequently asked questions section.[ms-protect-content id="2799"] The new interface allows users to search the Apexus database of FAQs by entering a search term for their desired topic. The results are then sorted into categories and subcategories from which … [Read more...]
Rebates on Medicare Part B Drugs Deserve a Closer Look, OIG Says
Federal government could have recouped $3.1 billion that it spent during 2011September 12, 2013—The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) has urged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to consider calling for the enactment of a Medicare Part B drug rebate program.[ms-protect-content id="2799"] In a Sept. 9 report, OIG found that the federal government could have recouped $3.1 billion of the $13.9 … [Read more...]