The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists is calling on pharmacy leaders to mobilize as Congress weighs sweeping federal spending cuts, including up to $880 billion in healthcare reductions primarily to Medicaid.
During a panel held at the recent American College of Healthcare Executives conference in Houston, ASHP leaders outlined some of the serious financial risks posed to health systems by proposed cuts to medication-related programs, according to an April 8 news release from the organization.
For example, this includes a reduction to the 340B Drug Pricing Program, proposals that would slash reimbursements for outpatient medication administration and broader Medicaid cuts.
“They can get their government relations teams working on outreach to Congress and tell them why these programs matter and what they do with these resources,” said Tom Kraus, ASHP vice president of government relations. “Congress needs to understand the implications of these decisions.”
Panelists included Tad Gomez, president of University of Loyola Medical Center and David Chen, ASHP’s vice president for leadership and planning emphasized the need for pharmacy leaders to assess the operational impact of the proposals and advocate accordingly.
Mr. Chen also advised health systems to establish 340B committees and teams to review ultrahigh-cost drugs. “The nexus of the existing drugs, those in the pipeline with 340B, and looming site-of-care neutrality rules will have a significant impact on how organizations make decisions,” he said.
