All this year we are reflecting on the approaching 30th anniversary of the 340B program and celebrating the patient care successes the program has enabled over the past three decades. This week, we are joined by Andrew Lowe, clinical director of pharmacy at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in California. Arrowhead has participated in 340B since the first days that hospitals were eligible for the program. Andy has had a front-row seat the entire time to see the difference 340B has made in the li...
Oct 11, 2022•19 min
It has been an eventful summer for 340B, and we are checking in this week with 340B Health President and CEO Maureen Testoni to hear her analysis on the top 340B developments. Maureen provides updates on issues that include the contract pharmacy dispute, Medicare payment cuts, and the new drug pricing law. She also shares a preview of what may occur in the fall. 340B Contract Pharmacy Dispute Continues The number of companies currently restricting 340B discounts has grown. Maureen discusses the ...
Sep 26, 2022•24 min
Drug shortages occurring throughout the U.S. health system can lead to delays for patients receiving the medications they need. 340B hospitals face unique challenges with avoiding and managing drug shortages. We are joined by Cescilly Smith-Jenkins, 340B program director at Ascension Wisconsin, to find out how 340B hospitals can address shortage problems effectively. Why Drug Shortages Happen There are several factors behind drug shortages. Cescilly explains how drug shortages are affected by ot...
Sep 12, 2022•17 min
Pharmacy technicians play key roles in hospital 340B program operations, but pharmacy technician staffing shortages are occurring in hospitals throughout the nation. We’re joined by Dr. Tyffani Wingfield with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) to discuss how the shortages are affecting hospitals, the pharmacy technician workforce, and 340B. Tyffani also shares potential solutions. Before the interview, we discuss recently enacted federal drug pricing legislation and the sta...
Aug 29, 2022•20 min
It’s that time of year again to make sure your health system or hospital has everything it needs for the 340B recertification period. 340B Health Vice President of Pharmacy Services Steven Miller returns to the podcast to discuss what is new this year for the recertification process, go over the recertification steps, and provide best practices to recertify without any errors. What’s New for Recertification Steve shares the dates that recertification will take place this year and two significant...
Aug 15, 2022•24 min
Inventory management is a major responsibility for many 340B professionals. Today, we’re joined by Melissa Antonopoulos, senior 340B internal auditor at Memorial Healthcare System, to learn more. She discusses the intersection of 340B and inventory management and goes over practices for ensuring hospitals and their patients have the medications they need. In our news segment, we cover a new letter on contract pharmacy from Congress to the Department of Health and Human Services and new developme...
Jul 25, 2022•16 min
Many 340B hospital professionals want to know how to operate an efficient specialty pharmacy that improves patient health outcomes. This week, we are joined by Betty Fang, director of ambulatory, specialty, and retail pharmacy at AdventHealth Great Lakes Region, formerly part of AMITA Health. Betty discusses how she helped lead a team that embedded specialty pharmacists into an oncology clinic. The team researched how the initiative improved patient health outcomes and increased 340B savings to ...
Jul 11, 2022•21 min
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a major decision earlier this month regarding Medicare Part B cuts for 340B drugs. We’re joined by Amanda Nagrotsky, senior counsel for 340B Health to understand what implications this decision holds for 340B hospitals. This Decision was Years in the Making Amanda provides important background on the Medicare Part B cuts and the different court cases that led to the U.S. Supreme Court deciding the case. An Important Victory for 340B Hospitals Amanda discusses the un...
Jun 27, 2022•18 min
This week, we are joined by Bhupinder Kaur, business analyst and 340B coordinator with NorthBay Healthcare Group in California. Bhupinder presented at the 340B Coalition 2021 Winter Conference on data analysis and shares with us important information that 340B professionals need to know about best practices. Before the interview, we highlight a recently published op-ed on the critical role of 340B savings during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Day in the Life of a 340B Analyst Bhupinder s...
Jun 06, 2022•17 min
It’s our 50th episode! This week we are joined by Amanda Sellers Smith , legal counsel for 340B Health. Amanda is responsible for tracking and responding to 340B state legislative and regulatory actions. Even though 340B is a federal program, its close relationship with state Medicaid programs often keeps it on the agendas of state lawmakers and health officials. Amanda discusses what listeners need to know about recent 340B activity in the states. Before the interview, we give an update on rece...
May 23, 2022•20 min
This week, we are joined by Coletta Barrett , vice president of mission at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center . Our Lady of the Lake (OLOL) is using its 340B savings to pursue health equity initiatives. Coletta shares best practices and provides inspiration for how 340B professionals can work toward eliminating health disparities in their hospitals and communities. Before the interview, we share updates on a new 340B Health survey report demonstrating the harm to hospitals and patients...
May 09, 2022•22 min
This week, we are joined by Laurie Chiumento, director of federal relations and healthcare policy at UR Medicine, the health system for the University of Rochester in New York. Laurie is an expert on how health systems and hospitals can advocate and promote their legislative priorities to members of Congress. She shares advice to hospitals that are preparing to speak with their elected officials about 340B issues or are considering doing so. She also discusses advocacy days in D.C., opportunitie...
Apr 25, 2022•19 min
This week, we are joined by Steven Miller, vice president of pharmacy services at 340B Health. April 1 was the third anniversary of the federal 340B ceiling price website’s launch. Steve discusses how this database has become an invaluable tool for 340B drug pricing transparency. Before the interview, our news update shares how HRSA escalated enforcement actions against one of the companies restricting 340B discounts. The update also notes the release of 340B Health’s 2021 annual survey report o...
Apr 11, 2022•19 min
This week, we are joined for the latest in our regular check-ins with 340B Health President and CEO Maureen Testoni. Maureen analyzes the top issues in 340B that occurred in the early months of 2022. These include updates on the 340B community pharmacy dispute and a new law that protects 340B eligibility for hospitals serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drug Company 340B Restriction Trends There now are 16 companies restricting 340B discounts to safety-net hospitals on drugs dis...
Mar 29, 2022•23 min
This week, we are joined by Paul Mollo, national director of medication outcomes disparity at Ascension. Paul discusses what skills and professional backgrounds hospitals consider when building a team to operate their 340B programs and ensure compliance. He also shares overall 340B staffing trends. Before the interview, our news update covers the appointment of a new HRSA Office of Pharmacy Affairs director. 340B Team Structure Paul explains how Ascension’s 340B team is structured at the nationa...
Mar 14, 2022•21 min
This week, we are joined by Emily Cook, partner at McDermott Will & Emery LLP. At the 340B Coalition Winter Conference, Emily spoke on a new panel about the importance of 340B professionals understanding compliance issues related to 340B that are not covered by the 340B statute. We hear from her about that session, including the process for preparing for government inquiries and the need for hospitals to self-disclose government overpayments. Before the interview, we provide updates on multi...
Feb 28, 2022•21 min
This week, we are joined by Lauren Aronson, executive director for the Campaign for Sustainable Drug Pricing (CSRxP) . CSRxP is a coalition of health care leaders, including providers, hospitals, patients, and health plans, that monitors drug pricing developments and promotes bipartisan solutions to lower U.S. drug prices. Lauren discusses recent alarming drug pricing trends, the role 340B plays in the drug pricing debate, and expectations for drug pricing legislation in 2022. Before the intervi...
Feb 14, 2022•19 min
This week, we are joined by Leslie Pires, director of specialty pharmacy and 340B for Care New England Health System in Rhode Island. Leslie successfully helped start Care New England’s first specialty pharmacy. She shares what 340B hospitals need to know about opening a specialty pharmacy, how to gain accreditation, and how to remain compliant with 340B. Before the interview, we update our listeners on a 12th drug company that has imposed restrictions on 340B pricing for drugs dispensed at comm...
Jan 31, 2022•18 min
This week, we are joined by Dr. Ellen Eaton, an assistant professor and infectious disease specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Eaton works at UAB Medicine’s 1917 Clinic , a Ryan White HIV/AIDS clinic that relies on 340B savings to treat its patients. She discusses how the health system’s clinic has partnered with local community housing organizations to provide temporary housing support to patients with unstable housing to improve their medication adherence and overall hea...
Jan 18, 2022•21 min
This week, we are joined again by 340B Health President and CEO Maureen Testoni . Maureen discusses and analyzes major developments for the 340B program that occurred this fall. These include updates on the community pharmacy dispute, legislation on drug pricing, and the U.S. Supreme Court hearing arguments on Medicare pay cuts to 340B hospitals. Court Decisions in the 340B Community Pharmacy Dispute More drug companies in recent months have announced plans to restrict 340B pricing on drugs disp...
Dec 14, 2021•18 min
November is American Diabetes Month. To explore how 340B supports care for patients living with diabetes, we speak with Salem Health’s Riley Protz , pharmacy inventory and 340B program manager, and AJ Sowles , manager of ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services. Riley and AJ discuss Salem Health’s use of 340B savings to create a medication management clinic that is helping improve the health outcomes of patients living with diabetes. Before the interview, we share exciting news about 340B Insi...
Nov 15, 2021•22 min
Nov. 4, 2021, is the 29th anniversary of the 340B drug pricing program. To celebrate how 340B has benefited patients, we are joined by Jennifer Gallagher, lead pharmacy technician at Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, Colo. Jennifer is not only a provider, she also is a patient whose health care journey has repeatedly intersected with the 340B program. She shares her story of how the 340B program has provided her access to the care she has needed to manage multiple health challenges. Before the ...
Nov 01, 2021•20 min
This week, we are joined again by Scott Milner, senior director of pharmacy, business development, purchasing, 340B, and infusion services at St. Luke’s Health System in Idaho. We had spoken with Scott in January about the initial distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, and we reconnected with him to hear about how St. Luke’s has responded to a recent surge in COVID cases from the Delta variant and its effect on 340B program management. Redeploying Care for COVID-19 Patients It’s been more than 18 mo...
Oct 25, 2021•22 min
This week, we are joined by Amanda Nagrotsky, 340B Health’s legal counsel. Child sites are a key component of how hospitals reach more patients and provide more health care services. Amanda discusses what hospitals need to know about registering child sites, including eligibility requirements, registration timelines, required documents, and what resources are available to help them navigate the process.Before the interview, we give an update on HRSA taking an enforcement action against another d...
Oct 12, 2021•21 min
This week, we are joined by Maureen Testoni, 340B Health’s president and CEO. The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) made a major announcement recently regarding drug companies that are denying 340B discounts on drugs dispensed at community pharmacies. Maureen analyzes the news and discusses what comes next on this issue. She also catches us up on several other important 340B developments from during the summer. HRSA Refers Six Drug Companies for Possible Fines HRSA recently r...
Sep 30, 2021•25 min
This week, we are joined by Sumona Das Gupta, assistant director of pharmacy audit and compliance at University of Washington Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center. As part of the UW Medicine health system, the hospitals operate in the first region of the U.S. that experienced community transmission of COVID-19 last year. Sumona discusses how her hospitals quickly expanded their telehealth capacity to serve patients, how this transformation impacted their 340B program operations and compl...
Sep 13, 2021•22 min
This week, we are joined by Tim Maurice, chief financial officer for UC Davis Health. Tim discusses how hospital finance teams support 340B and how they work together with hospital departments to provide the resources for health care services that patients need. Prior to the interview, we share a news update on an eighth drug manufacturer that plans to deny 340B discounts on drugs dispensed at community pharmacies. How Health System Finances Have Changed Over the Years Health system finances hav...
Aug 30, 2021•21 min
This week, we are joined by Nan Kempadoo, 340B internal auditor for Memorial Healthcare System in Hollywood, Fla. Nan is a certified pharmacy technician who spoke on the pharmacy technician roundtable at last month’s 340B Coalition Summer Conference. She discusses how pharmacy techs play an important role in the operations and compliance of 340B hospitals and notes the growing number of career opportunities available to them in 340B. Before the interview, we give an update on a seventh drug comp...
Aug 16, 2021•19 min
This week, we are joined by Steven Miller, vice president of pharmacy services at 340B Health. The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) recently announced that annual 340B recertification for hospitals will begin on Aug. 16, 2021. Steve discusses what 340B hospitals need to know about preparing for recertification and avoiding common errors during the process. Prior to the interview, we provide news updates on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposing to continu...
Jul 26, 2021•22 min
This week, we are joined by Bryan Jackson, chief administrative officer at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Arkansas. Bryan discusses why he advocates for 340B at the federal and state levels, explains how to prepare for and participate in advocacy meetings with policymakers and their staff, and shares his advocacy success stories. Prior to the interview, our news segment discusses how a seventh drug company is threatening to start denying 340B discounts on drugs dispensed at community pharm...
Jul 12, 2021•22 min
