On April 18, the Health Resources and Services Administration released a final rule establishing an Administrative Dispute Resolution (ADR) process for the 340B Drug Pricing Program that is effective on June 18. The federal 340B program allows certain hospitals and clinics, aka ‘covered entities,’ that treat low-income and uninsured patients to buy outpatient prescription drugs from manufacturers at a discount, and it is intended to help these providers stretch scarce federal resources as far as possible. This rule finalizes new requirements and procedures to make the resolution of disputes between covered entities and manufacturers more accessible and efficient.
