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Leaders from the AHA and individual 340B hospitals today came together to announce new principles for ensuring good stewardship of the 340B program. The new AHA-led initiative seeks to strengthen the 340B program by increasing transparency while helping 340B hospitals better publicly communicate the value of the program for vulnerable patients and communities.
 
“The 340B stewardship principles will help hospitals better tell their story of how this crucial program is delivering a variety of important benefits to patients and communities,” said Rick Pollack, AHA president and CEO. “In an era of skyrocketing drug prices, 340B has been critical in helping hospitals expand access to comprehensive health services, including lifesaving prescription drugs.”
 
Pollack was joined by Nancy Agee, president and CEO of Carilion Clinic and chair of the AHA Board of Trustees; Michelle Hood, president and CEO of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems; and Charles Daniels, M.D., pharmacist-in-chief for UC San Diego Health. All three are active members of the AHA Board’s Task Force on the 340B Drug Pricing Program.
 
“The 340B program is incredibly important to the patients and communities that Carilion Clinic is proud to serve each day,” Agee said. “The savings achieved in the 340B program have been instrumental in expanding our charity care initiatives and our community outreach programs.”
 
Hood discussed the importance of using the drug savings available to hospitals to provide low- or no-cost medications to vulnerable patients.
 
“340B helps provide a range of health care services to Maine’s underserved and uninsured patients and communities,” said Hood. “Providing good stewardship of the 340B program will help ensure that participating hospitals can offer these comprehensive services that expand patient access to care.”

Daniels emphasized that hospitals are already investing in the 340B program and the principles will help 340B hospitals better communicate the impact it has on the vulnerable communities they serve.

“The importance of the 340B Program to UC San Diego Health has demanded strong stewardship,” said Daniels. “These stewardship principles are at the core of our 340B operations. Continuing access to this vital program will allow UC San Diego Health to provide medical care to many underserved patients in a variety of different capacities.”

The principles have been endorsed by America’s Essential Hospitals, the Association of American Medical Colleges, Catholic Health Association of the United States, Children’s Hospital Association and 340B Health.
 
“The bottom line is that hospitals use the 340B savings to provide services and programs that respond to the unique needs of the communities that they serve,” Pollack said. To read the newly released 340B good stewardship principles, click here.