January 11, 2012—New York State's recent directive to pharmacies to flag all 340B claims billed to Medicaid managed care plans at the time the claims are filed is impossible to carry out and will prevent many pharmacies from accessing 340B drug discounts, state and national groups representing 340B providers have told state officials. In recent testimony before the state … [Read more...]
New Congressional Report Sites Manufacturing Problems as Primary Factor in Drug Shortages
Watchdog Agency Does Not Focus On Prices.December 23, 2011—Last week’s Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on drug shortages gave more insight to the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) report on steps the government can take to alleviate drug shortage situations.The report was requested by three members of the HELP Committee, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and … [Read more...]
Hospitals Urge Sanofi to Reinstate Patient Assistance Program
Free Clinics also Express Concern.December 23, 2011—An organization of over 800 non-profit and public hospitals that participate in the 340B program has written to drug manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis to express concern over the discontinuation of its institutional patient assistance program as well as the termination of its free drug program for the anti-coagulant Lovenox. In the letter, Safety Net Hospitals … [Read more...]
Prices Aren’t Causing Drug Shortages, Experts Tell Senate Panel
Solution lies in strengthening FDA's authority, witnesses agree.December 16, 2011—Witnesses testifying at a Senate committee hearing yesterday—including the head of the trade association for generic pharmaceutical manufacturers—overwhelmingly concurred that government drug pricing programs such as 340B are not the reason why so many generic injectable drugs are in short supply. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) … [Read more...]
Congress Level-Funds OPA and Declines to Approve User Fee
Former OPA director thinks audits and other program integrity initiatives will remain high priorities.December 16, 2011—Congressional negotiators last night approved a $1 trillion fiscal year 2012 spending agreement for much of the federal government that level-funds the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) at its current $4.48 million. The measure does not include a proposed user fee that was expected to raise an additional $5 million to finance 340B program integrity … [Read more...]
OPA-CMS Webinar Focuses on Preventing 340B Duplicate Discounts
Pedley reminds providers of their responsibility to keep OPA database up to date.December 15, 2011—With 340B covered entity audits just over the horizon, providers that use 340B drugs for Medicaid patients should double-check the accuracy of their information in the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) database lest they find themselves on the hook for a duplicate discount violation, the office's director recommended during a recent webinar. Also, auditors … [Read more...]
Sanofi Discontinues Its Institutional Patient Assistance Program
Providers says IPAP's demise will strain their budgets and could compromise patient care.December 9, 2011—Safety-net hospitals and free and charitable clinics say they are scrambling to replace formerly free bulk supplies of Sanofi U.S. medications, including the widely used anticoagulant Lovenox (enoxaparin), following the drug manufacturer's mid-November notice that it is discontinuing its entire institutional patient assistance program (IPAP) at the end of … [Read more...]