House Democratic Committee Chairs Say Drug Companies’ Actions Could Put 340B on “Treacherous Path”
Letting drug manufacturers “pick and choose” which 340B program requirements they will comply with “could set us on a treacherous path where program participants might disregard any or all of their legal obligations,” three U.S. House Energy & Commerce (E&C) Committee leaders warned U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar in a letter today. The E&C Committee has direct jurisdiction over the 340B and Medicaid programs.
E&C full committee chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Health subcommittee chair Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), and Oversight and Investigations chair Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) wrote to Azar to express “strong concerns” about several drug manufacturers’ recent moves to stop providing 340B pricing on drugs shipped to contract pharmacies, or to condition continuation of such pricing on provision of claims data. The leaders cited stories in 340B Report and other news outlets that have covered the developments.