Pharmaceutical firms are required by the 340B drug discount programme to provide providers serving low-income populations with discounts on outpatient medications. For such providers, who often work with extremely narrow profit margins, the reductions, which may be anywhere from 25% to 50% of the drug’s total cost, can be a significant financial help.
However, the new guidelines may prevent a hospital’s care locations from being eligible for the medication discount programme, even if the facility is eligible for 340B.
The move may result in hospitals with sizable outpatient networks having to pay more for prescription medications, according to Maureen Testoni, CEO of 340B Health, a trade association that advocates for programme providers, in an email.
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