July 20, 2010 - The introduction to 340B session has been a reasonably well-attended mainstay of 340B Coalition annual conferences for all 14 years of the event's existence. But even long-time attendees say they couldn't recall ever seeing a gathering this large for the three-hour crash course, typically held just prior to the conference's official opening session. Roughly … [Read more...]
Rx School Dean Calls for Pharmacists to Fill Some Roles of M.D.s
Applauds OPA's patient safety initiative in Wall Street Journal op-ed.July 20, 2010 - Pharmacists should be allowed to fill some of the traditional oversight roles of physicians to help care for the estimated 30 million more patients who will be insured under the health reform law passed earlier this year, the dean of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Southern California argued yesterday in an essay in The Wall Street Journal. R. … [Read more...]
PSSC Announces New “Peer to Peer” Network
Quality improvement and program integrity effort to be launched this fall.July 20, 2010 - The Pharmacy Services and Support Center (PSSC) is launching an initiative this fall to connect high-achieving 340B providers with others to help them become "leading practice sites," the center's newly elevated vice president announced today. Lisa Scholz, who until days ago held the title of PSSC senior director, announced the effort yesterday during the … [Read more...]
Enrollment for New Categories of 340B Providers to Begin Aug. 2
July 20, 2010 - Rural hospitals that became eligible for 340B drug discounts under health care reform will finally be allowed to begin enrolling in the program starting Aug. 2. Dr. Mary Wakefield, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), made the announcement yesterday to a round of applause during the 340B Coalition annual conference in … [Read more...]
340B Providers Reporting Severe Drug Shortages
Generic injectable pain, emergency and oncology medications said to be affected most.August 18, 2010—Safety-net hospital pharmacies nationwide are reporting severe shortages of widely used pharmaceuticals, including pain medicines, emergency drugs and some oncology treatments. In late July, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), a nonprofit group devoted to medication-error prevention, described the recent rash of critical medication shortages as … [Read more...]
Pedley Named New OPA Director
Overseer of patient-safety initiative takes over the reins from Mitchell.July 15, 2010 - Cmdr. Krista Pedley of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps has been tapped to become the next director of the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA). Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Associate Administrator Joyce Somsak made the announcement in a letter released the evening of July 14. Pedley, who has led OPA's … [Read more...]
Mitchell and Burch to Receive 340B Coalition’s Lifetime Achievement Award
Program stalwarts are both retiring this year after lengthy careers.July 14, 2010 - Two pillars of the 340B drug discount program who announced their retirements early this year have been chosen to receive the 340B Coalition's highest honor. Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) Director Jimmy Mitchell and National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH) Executive Director Christine (Chris) Burch will each be presented with the … [Read more...]