Just as patients are setting their health goals, it is critical that our legislators match this resolve by working to protect and strengthen the federal 340B drug pricing program.
As the chief pharmacy officer at St. Louis-based Ascension, I’ve witnessed the 340B program empower hospitals to continue to deliver vital treatment and related services to our most vulnerable patients. By enabling hospitals, especially nonprofit hospitals like Ascension, to purchase and provide outpatient medications at significantly reduced prices, we are able to stretch limited resources further and reinvest in the communities we serve.
While Ascension still spends $1.7 billion every year on pharmaceuticals despite the discounts, the 340B savings make a real difference in our mission to enhance services for those in need. They help Ascension invest further into our health system to improve patient care, retain services and fund community health initiatives, helping bolster the $2.1 billion we spent in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs in fiscal 2023.
340B savings at Ascension support medication affordability programs that provide prescription drugs to uninsured patients across 11 states for free or at a significantly reduced cost. Not only that, Ascension can maximize the additional resources to increase access to behavioral and mental health services, primary and preventative care and cancer care.
For example, in Kansas, 340B savings support the Community Cares clinic, which delivers home-based care to patients with chronic lung and cardiac disease, reducing emergency room visits. Furthermore, 340B savings enable Ascension hospitals in Florida, Maryland, Texas and Wisconsin to invest limited resources to support programs in local schools such as school nurse and healthy lifestyle programs.
By saving on the overhead costs associated with providing medications, hospitals can also support job creation and contribute to our local economy while also reducing overall healthcare costs, improving access to preventive care, increasing patient compliance with treatment regimens and reducing hospital readmissions. This is all achieved without increasing taxpayer spending or impact on the federal budget.
Unfortunately, actions by pharmaceutical manufacturers threaten the 340B program since Congress has yet to implement measures to protect it from corporate overreach. Pharmaceutical special interests are attempting to limit the number of community pharmacies a hospital can contract with under the 340B program. These restrictions threaten to boost corporate profits at the expense of patient access, particularly for low-income families, seniors on fixed incomes and rural communities.
Without legislative intervention, these tactics could erode the program, leading to reduced access to affordable medications, longer travel distances for patients and cuts to hospital services. Ultimately, vulnerable populations — already facing barriers such as low income, limited transportation and inadequate healthcare access — would bear the brunt of these changes.
Without the 340B program, the vulnerable communities that rely on these critical resources would face even greater barriers to accessing affordable medications and essential healthcare services, putting their health and well-being at even greater risk.
It is essential that Congress protect the 340B program to ensure patients continue to have affordable access to life-saving drugs and quality health care. By securing the future of 340B, our lawmakers will help ensure a healthier, more equitable nation.
