Staff Reports
One patient advocacy group is calling on Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to take a closer look at reforming a key prescription drug program.
The Infusion Access Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that focuses on individuals with chronic conditions, says that more oversight is needed to ensure that the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program works effectively to help low-income and uninsured Americans. Patients nationwide — particularly those with chronic diseases — rely on 340B charity care to access affordable treatment to manage their health.
In letters sent to the attorneys general in Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Massachusetts and California, the group urges each state to bring more attention and transparency to 340B activities in order to improve patient access, equity and health outcomes.
“Absent any legal or regulatory obligation to pass savings on to patients, 340B-eligible hospitals and clinics are gaming the program and further deepening health inequities that persist in Florida,” said the Infusion Access Foundation in its letter. “Without proper accountability, Floridians already suffering health care discrimination and barriers to care will continue to be left behind.”
The call on each of the five states’ attorneys general comes at a critical time. Between 2014 and 2020, 340B drug sales rose from $9 billion to $38 billion nationwide — but there has not been a similar increase in charity care levels. Gov. Ron DeSantis has also recently turned his attention to bringing more transparency to the prescription drug process, particularly related to the role of pharmacy benefit managers.
“The 340B Drug Pricing Program was intended to help low-income and uninsured patients access the care they need by giving prescription drug discounts to qualifying hospitals and health care entities under the condition that those savings will be used to help more of those indigent patients,” said Infusion Access Foundation Executive Director Brian Nyquist. “However, evidence increasingly suggests that some facilities are using the 340B program to increase their profits rather than to help those patients in need.”
According to the group, more than 10,700 Floridians have already called on Moody to act related to this program.
