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A recent report from 340B Health includes data on how drug company restrictions on 340B hospital partnerships with community and specialty contract pharmacies have taken a toll on the health care safety net and the patients who rely on it. On this episode, we speak with the report’s author, 340B Health Vice President of Research and Policy Analytics Caroline Steinberg, to walk through the findings and discuss what they mean for 340B hospitals and their patients. Before the interview, we provide a news update on a federal appeals court case regarding a 340B non-discrimination law in Arkansas.  

The Data Behind the Report

Caroline discusses the primary data sources for the report, including data from the federal government and survey results from 340B Health members. 

Tip of the Iceberg 

The report breaks down the amount of savings stripped from the health care safety net in 2021 from the five companies restricting 340B discounts for all of that year. Caroline uses this information to project the billions of dollars in annual lost 340B savings from the contract pharmacy restrictions. She also describes the patterns she found in the types of drugs that drugmakers are restricting. 

The Toll on Patient Care

340B hospital survey data in the report uncovers how lost 340B savings from drug company restrictions affects patients’ access to services and their ability to obtain discounts on medications through contract pharmacies. Caroline discusses results from the survey that shed light on how drug company demands for patient claims data are diverting resources from patient care. She also shares individual stories from the report of harm to patient care. 

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 would like us to cover in this podcast, email us at [email protected].

Resources 

1. 340B Health, AHA, Arkansas Hospital Association Urge Federal Appeals Court to Uphold State Law Protecting 340B Community Pharmacies
2. 340B Health Spring 2023 Report on Contract Pharmacy Restrictions 
3. 340B Health Spring 2023 Contract Pharmacy Report Infographic
    
4. 340B Coalition Summer Conference 2023 Registration