ASHP is pushing back against the flawed 340B rebate pilot program that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) launched last week. HRSA approved rebate plans for nine medications, all of which are drugs that are subject to negotiated pricing under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
ASHP strongly opposes the imposition of any rebate model within the 340B Drug Pricing Program. ASHP’s recent comments to HRSA regarding the pilot program highlighted its serious negative ramifications for patients and the hospitals and pharmacies that serve them. ASHP urged the agency to abandon the model. ASHP members also joined a call to action that led 160 members of Congress to ask the Department of Health and Human Services to stop implementation of the 340B pilot program.
Manufacturers claim the 340B rebate pilot is needed to avoid duplicative discounts under 340B and the IRA. In a recent letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), ASHP and its partners urged CMS to use its authority to require manufacturers to provide access to the IRA negotiated drug price through an upfront discount, which would reduce administrative burden, improve price transparency, and support provider sustainability. It would also eliminate manufacturer justifications for implementing the costly and burdensome 340B rebate pilot program.
“HRSA's 340B rebate pilot program is good for participating drug manufacturers — but not for safety-net providers or the patients they serve,” said Tom Kraus, ASHP vice president of government relations. “ASHP continues to oppose this rebate program, which forces providers to carry additional costs and puts patient access at risk.”
