As part of its ongoing commitment to the 340B Drug Pricing Program, the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) has endorsed new guidelines, “340B Hospital Commitment to Good Stewardship Principles,” released today by the American Hospital Association (AHA).
“Teaching hospitals are a critical part of the nation’s safety net for vulnerable patients, serving a disproportionate number of Medicare, Medicaid, and uninsured patients. Those that participate in the 340B program already adhere to strict program requirements,” said AAMC President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, MD. “Each one of these hospitals has a powerful story to tell about the vital role 340B savings play in helping them make their communities healthier.”
The 340B program, which requires drug manufacturers to provide discounts to safety net hospitals and other entities that serve vulnerable populations, helps support critical health care efforts and services. This includes programs intended to improve the community’s health and, ultimately, lower overall health care costs. Without the program, hospitals may have to reduce access to these important services.
“For more than 25 years, the 340B program has supported services that improve the health of their communities at no cost to taxpayers, from providing free or discounted drugs to low-income patients, community and mobile clinics, increased access to specialty care, and substance use disorder treatment programs, among other examples,” Kirch said. “The stewardship guidelines are another opportunity for hospitals to show the public how the 340B program continues to be an all-around success for patients and communities.”
View the AHA’s statement on the “340B Hospital Commitment to Good Stewardship Principles.”
The Association of American Medical Colleges is a not-for-profit association dedicated to transforming health care through innovative medical education, cutting-edge patient care, and groundbreaking medical research. Its members are all 154 accredited U.S. and 17 accredited Canadian medical schools; nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems, including 51 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers; and more than 80 academic societies. Through these institutions and organizations, the AAMC serves the leaders of America’s medical schools and teaching hospitals and their more than 173,000 full-time faculty members, 89,000 medical students, 129,000 resident physicians, and more than 60,000 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the biomedical sciences.