HHS/OIG released an advisory opinion concluding that drug manufacturers are obligated to deliver discounts under the 340B Drug Pricing Program on covered outpatient drugs when contract pharmacies are acting as agents of 340B covered entities.
Many covered entities enter into written agreements with pharmacies (contract pharmacies) to distribute their covered outpatient drugs to the entities’ patients. The covered entity orders and pays for the 340B drugs, which are then shipped from the manufacturer to the contract pharmacy. The contract pharmacy then sends the drug to the patient. The covered entity purchases the drug, and the contract pharmacy provides the pharmacy services to dispense the drug to a patient.
In the advisory opinion, the HHS Office of the General Counsel asserts that the plain meaning of Section 340B requires manufacturers to sell covered drugs to covered entities at or below the ceiling price.
Source: HHS Issues Advisory Opinion on Contract Pharmacies Under the 340B Program