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 Insight, recap several recent federal court decisions in the 340B community pharmacy dispute, and provide an update on Medicare payment cuts to 340B hospitals in 2022. 

The Challenges in Diabetes Patient Care Management

Salem Health is in the Willamette Valley region of Oregon and serves a community with a higher prevalence of diabetes patients in comparison to the rest of the state. Riley and AJ discuss how treatments have become more complex and how COVID-19 has caused people to delay care needed to manage their conditions. 

340B Savings Support Diabetes Care  

To meet these challenges, Salem Health is using its 340B savings to operate a medication management clinic that supports diabetes care management. Riley and AJ discuss how the clinic was launched during the pandemic, how the teams collaborate with each other, and how health providers refer patients to the clinic. AJ also shares data demonstrating that the clinic has improved patient health outcomes. 

Challenges Creating the Clinic 

Riley notes that the eight drug companies denying 340B discounts to Salem Health and other safety-net providers on drugs dispensed at community pharmacies have made it more challenging to launch, operate, and expand the clinic’s services. This is in large part because many of the drugs affected by the drug company restrictions are diabetes medications. 

The Future of the Medication Management Clinic

Riley and AJ explain how 340B savings in the future will help them expand care and support to more patients, including through discounts on diabetes drugs and other medications to patients in need who cannot afford them. 

Check out all of our episodes on the 340B Insight podcast website. You also can stay updated on all 340B Health news and information by visiting our homepage. If you have any questions you’d like us to cover in this podcast, email us at [email protected].

Resources 

1. 340B Insight’s Excellence in Communication Award 
2. Conflicting Court Decisions Prolong Dispute Over 340B Contract Pharmacies
3. Statement on Medicare Payment Cuts to 340B Hospitals in 2022
4. Report: Meeting Varied Community Needs with 340B Savings