Hospitals welcome Congress’s interest in 340B, but they ask lawmakers to “let the regulatory process work” before doing anything to the drug discount program, the head of the group representing 340B hospitals writes in the March 5 edition of The Hill.
The essay by Ted Slafsky, president and CEO of Safety Net Hospitals for Pharmaceutical Access, was timed to run on the same day as a U.S. House subcommittee hearing on 340B. The hearing, however, was cancelled due to a snowstorm and has yet to be rescheduled.
Slafsky notes that the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to release 340B program guidance this spring and says hospitals are confident it will deliver the clarity that all stakeholders seek. “The 340B drug discount program helps safety-net hospitals treat thousands of needy patients every day across America,” Slafsky concludes. “There is no need to tinker legislatively with a program that means so much to so many.” Click here for the complete essay.