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October 2017 – 340B Insider

Welcome to the October edition of RxStrategies’ 340B Insider, a concise communication to provide a quick highlight of updates from RxStrategies’ view. 
 

340B INDUSTRY NEWS

UPDATE: HOUSE ENERGY & COMMERCE OVERSIGHT SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING

On October 11, the House Energy & Commerce (E&C) oversight subcommittee held a second hearing on the 340B program, focusing on how Covered Entities (CEs) track and use their savings to improve patient care.

Key highlights:

  • All CEs did an excellent job in describing how their institutions use the program and how important it is to their mission.
  • Committee members from both parties expressed support for 340B, calling it important and critical and saying no one wanted it eliminated.
  • The subcommittee’s review of 340B will likely continue and there could be more hearings.

Click here to view the subcommittee hearing, “Examing how Covered Entities Utilize the 340B Drug Pricing Program” and view statements from testified:

  • Shannon A. Banna – Director of Finance and System Controller, Northside Hospital, Inc.
  • Mike Gifford – President and CEO, AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin
  • Ronald A. Paulus – President and CEO, Mission Health Systems, Inc.
  • Charles Reuland – Executive Vice President and COO, Johns Hopkins Hospital
  • Sue Veer – President and CEO, Carolina Health Centers, Inc.

340B Health President and Chief Executive Officer Ted Slafsky released a statement about the E&C oversight subcommittee, stating,”…340B Health is pleased with the subcommittee’s bipartisan expressions of support for the 340B program. The members heard compelling testimony from the witnesses about how 340B gives them the flexibility to use their savings not just to lower drug prices for patients, but to support wrap-around and preventive services tailored to their communities’ unique needs.”  Read his complete statement.

 

340B PROGRAM: BIPARTISAN LETTER OF SUPPORT SENT TO HHS 

On October 6, U.S. Senators authored a letter to the acting HHS secretary and the head of CMS imploring them “to carefully consider stakeholder concerns and feedback” as they finalize the proposed regulation that would significantly reduce 340B hospitals’ Medicare Part B drug reimbursement.

Read the letter signed by 57 U.S. Senators>

 

HOSPITAL 340B RECERTIFICATION STARTS OCT. 24

Hospitals will have from Oct. 24 through Nov. 21 to recertify their eligibility for the 340B program, HRSA said in a recent email to hospital 340B authorizing officials (AOs) and primary contacts (PCs). Annual recertification is a condition of eligibility and must recertify to participate in the 340B program.

This will be the first time hospitals will go through recertification using the updated 340B database, 340B Office of Pharmacy Affairs Information System (340B OPAIS).

  • Hospitals AOs and PCs need to create individual 340B OPAIS user accounts to be able to complete the recertification process.
  • You cannot share accounts.
  • HRSA warns that failure to set up user accounts will result in not being able to view accounts or conduct recertification, thus removal from the 340B Program.

HRSA is holding a recertification webinar for hospitals on Oct. 19 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. EST.

Conference Number: 877-717-2159
Participant Code: 4684724
To join the meeting: https://hrsaseminar. adobeconnect.com/prh/

RxStrategies response: Our 340B program experts are ready to help provide any form of support to your CE through this new registration process. Suggested next steps include:

  • Confirm your designated AO for your CE and child-site(s). This must be the same contact.
  • Identify your parent PC and child-site PC(s), they may be different.
  • Contact your RxStrategies’ Account Manager to raise any/all questions related to this new process. RxStrategies will work directly with APEXUS/HRSA to clarify and support.

RxSTRATEGIES UPDATES

It has been a very busy fall connecting with 340B industry leaders across the U.S.

RxStrategies was pleased to be Platinum Presenting Sponsor and presenters at the recent Alabama Primary Health Care Association (APHCA) Annual Conference. Our team was able to connect with industry leaders, including a number of RxStrategies’ clients. Top discussion points included a focus on 340B program compliance within a FQHC environment.

Ready to learn more? Contact us to discuss your specific 340B program.

 

New Addition to the RxStrategies Team 

Ryen M. Brumbeloe joined the RxStrategies team as Vice President of Implementation and Sales Support. Ryen has 10+ years of 340B knowledge and expertise in implementation and sales support for hospital systems in the 340B market. In addition, she brings a pharm-tech background and expertise in pharmacy automation to our team. Please welcome Ryen to our team!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Join the RxStrategies team at the following upcoming conferences: 

2017 Fall Hospital Pharmacy Conference
Oct.16 – 18 | Chicago, Illinois
Learn more.

ASHP Midyear 2017, Clinical Meeting & Expo
Dec. 3 – 7 | Orlando, Florida
Learn more.