340B Unscripted

In this episode, Greg and Rob discuss a recent publication regarding how 340B Program participation may impact the degree of biosimilar utilization.  Additionally, the guys recap recent legislative proposals with 340B impact that were advanced by the House Energy & Commerce Committee.   Article citation:  Health Affairs 42, NO. 5 (2023): 632–641 

In this episode, Rob and Greg discuss an interesting piece of 340B history – the Morford letter (25:31).  Rob shares his understanding of the origins of the letter and contemporary application of the letter as it relates to the recent debate around the 340B-eligible patient definition. But first, the guys catch up on 340B news, including:  -A reminder of 340B protections offered under the 2022 Con...

Greg and Rob provide a quick update on FAQ 4301 and where we are with HRSA removing language around the immediate use of new 340B locations.

In this episode, Rob and Greg are joined by guest Ted Slafsky, of 340B Report and Wexford Solutions (13:20). Ted shares his thoughts on the ongoing contract pharmacy impasse, updates on legislative developments coming out of D.C., and highlights some of the emerging advocacy groups as the debate over 340B Program reform heats up.    But first, Greg and Rob discuss upcoming recertification for gran...

This week, Rob and Greg connected with Vacheria Keys, Director of Policy & Regulatory Affairs at NACHC. Vacheria will talk about her role at NACHC and how the health centers she represents have been impacted by a number of ongoing 340B developments (23:05).  She’ll also share her thoughts on where things may go in terms of ongoing litigation related to contract pharmacy restrictions and patient de...

Rob is back from San Diego, and he and Greg have a lot to catch up on, including a recap of notable events and sessions from the 340B Coalition 2023 Winter Conference (27:37). But first, They’ll discuss recent changes to manufacturer-related contract pharmacy restrictions (1:03), share insights from recent Congressional hearings where 340B has been a focus (13:42), discuss recent OPAIS changes (20...

In this episode, Rob and Greg dissect some of the finer details of the ASAP 340B policy principles. They’ll address the merits of proposed reform around topics like patient definition, hospital and child site eligibility, contract pharmacy provisions, and 340B savings transparency, among other targeted policy areas. Also, with the 340B Coalition Winter Conference right around the corner, the guys...

In this episode, Rob and Greg are joined by pharmacist leader and 340B expert Leah Marcelin (22:32) to share thoughts and ideas about building out an expert staff to manage your 340B program. They’ll debate strategies for right-sizing and organizing your team, share tips on recruiting 340B talent, and offer ideas on how to provide training and enrichment to 340B team staff members. But first, Rob...

This is part two of our two-part series focusing on 340B grantee-covered entities. The team talks about the importance of maintaining auditable records (15:34) and the challenges that many grantees face in meeting this 340B eligibility requirement. Also, they cover important billing considerations related to Medicaid Duplicate Discount prevention (31:20). Finally, the group debates future developm...

This episode is the first part of a two-part series focusing on 340B grantee-covered entities.  Rob and Greg are joined by SpendMend pharmacy experts (19:43) who bring their FQHC and Ryan White experience to share insights into 340B Program participation from the grantee perspective.  They’ll discuss what to look out for regarding OPAIS registrations (21:00) and requirements for using 340B savings...

In this episode, Rob and Greg catch up on recent 340B developments, including the 3rd Circuit Court ruling on one of the contract pharmacy cases and the subsequent changes to some manufacturer's policies (1:36), how the new shape of the Senate HELP Committee may influence 340B legislative debate, and why a renewed focus on advocacy might be helpful (9:39) and what the end of the COVID-19 Public He...

Rob and Greg kick off the episode with some discussion around news and noteworthy items across the 340B landscape, including more dialogue around CMS guidance on “JG”/”TB” modifiers (1:01), 340B in the news media (4:31), grantee recertification tips (14:13) and ongoing challenges working 340B ESP (18:39). Later in the episode, they are joined by Victoria Ferris of OptumRx and Thatcher Sloan of RxB...

For our last episode of 2022 Rob and Greg are joined again by SpendMend colleague Matt Parker and debate the top developments in the 340B space over the last year.

In this episode, we have podcast guests Anna Bulochnik, and Chelsea Violette to discuss the challenging task of switching third-party administrators (TPAs). Great tips and recommendations on how to make the transition as smooth as possible. 

On this episode, Rob and Greg welcome a few new SpendMend colleagues - Curtis McEntire and Angela Whitney– to talk about Trulla, a state-of-the-art pharmacy procurement solution now offered by SpendMend. They’ll talk about the challenges of today’s pharmacy buyer, common untapped opportunities for drug savings, and how Trulla can bring your pharmacy procurement process into the future.

It’s Halloween, and in this episode, Greg and Rob invite guests from the field to discuss “tricks and treats” from recent HRSA audit experiences! They’ll review strategies for gathering audit data, the coaching staff for the onsite visit, and what you need to consider when you eventually receive your final audit report. HRSA audits can be a “frightening” experience, but this conversation will give...

In this episode, Rob and Gren welcome William Mayhood to the Pod and get into the New York Times article on Bon Secours’ 340B program. We shift gears and get into what covered entities should be doing in preparation for a similar media article, or congressional inquiry, and bring back the 340B Impact Statement. You never know, your CE could be next!

In this episode, Greg and Rob are joined by another SpendMend Pharmacy colleague – Riley Protz, who serves as Director of Optimization. They discuss the impact of referral capture opportunities on 340B Program participation and debate the risks of this strategy in comparison with other strategies, like the application of the “continuum of care” in the patient definition.

In Episode 4 of the 340B Unscripted podcast, Greg and Rob bring on Matt Parker, VP of Optimization and Growth at SpendMend AND the maestro behind the scenes of the podcast, to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act and how it impacts 340B. We discuss both the inflation penalty impact starting in 2023 and the negotiated Medicare pricing impact that starts in 2026.

 In this episode, Greg and Rob are joined by SpendMend colleague Jacob Thompson to discuss the future outlook of the 340B Contract Pharmacy Limitations. They review past 340B/CMS litigation that ultimately ended at the Supreme Court. From that review, they predict the path and length of time these limitations are most likely in place. This is a very important topic as CEs navigate if they should s...

In this episode, Greg and Rob are back from Washington, D.C., and are joined by SpendMend colleague Jennifer Hagen to recap highlights from the 2022 Summer 340B Coalition Conference. They dig into lessons learned from various sessions at the conference and chat about HRSA audit trends, operational challenges from recent manufacturer restrictions, as well as “big picture” considerations for 340B co...