340B for Viral Hepatitis Programs: 340B Drug Pricing Program Guidance & Webinar Series

The 340B Drug Pricing Program is an instrumental tool in the elimination of viral hepatitis that enables viral hepatitis programs to expand and improve services, address health equity, and reduce health disparities. The 340B Program provides viral hepatitis programs with up-front cost savings on medications, as well as the potential to generate revenue to invest in critical program services.

The 340B resources developed by NASTAD are designed to build the capacity of state, local, and tribal health department viral hepatitis, HIV, and minority health programs and support the public health staff who administer these programs.

The 340B Drug Pricing Program Guidance for Viral Hepatitis Programs introduces the 340B Drug Pricing Program, explains 340B program eligibility for providers and patients, and provides an overview of program administration including a step-by-step 340B program registration checklist for viral hepatitis programs. 340B program implementation considerations are included as well as health department roles and responsibilities and compliance elements. Health equity concepts and program recommendations for implementation are provided throughout the document and additional 340B resources for viral hepatitis programs are included.

The 340B for Viral Hepatitis Webinar Series a five-part series that covers 340B basics, provides an overview of pharmaceutical wholesale arrangements as well as contract pharmacy considerations, discusses the roles of the health department and details the registration process for viral hepatitis programs. Local programs are also highlighted and discuss how they have operationalized the 340B program including innovative partnerships, administrative activities, and public health impacts. The 340B program is also framed as a health equity tool, with equity examples provided from 340B hospitals across the country as well as by a state health department.

The Advancing 340B Within Health Department Leadership resource is designed to support viral hepatitis program administrators, managers, and staff responsible for educating and informing their leadership of the purpose and intent of the 340B Program and their program's 340B partnerships. Support from the viral hepatitis program’s chain of command is crucial when implementing policies, conferring eligibility, maintaining compliance, and is needed when executing formal partnerships including contracts and memorandums of understanding. This resource helps simplify complex 340B Program principles, provides recommendations, and offers sample memo language that can be utilized when communicating 340B to health department leadership.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of HIV, viral hepatitis, and STIs is significantly higher among people who are incarcerated when compared with the general population. Many individuals who are incarcerated have limited access to health care before incarceration, and most have battled a multitude of social determinants of health throughout their lives. Addressing communicable diseases in correctional settings is vital to address the overall syndemic of viral hepatitis, HIV, and STIs. Because of the high prevalence of viral hepatitis, HIV, and STIs in correctional facilities and the opportunity for high-impact interventions to be implemented, many health department viral hepatitis, HIV, and STI programs (prevention programs) have established collaborative partnerships with correctional facilities in their jurisdiction which include forming financial relationships to provide viral hepatitis, HIV, and STI services. The resource “A Syndemic Approach to STD 340B Correctional Facility Partnerships for Health Department Prevention Programs,” developed in collaboration with the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD,) outlines 340B eligibility and considerations including prevention program collaboration, service integration, partnership management, and 340B cost savings taking into consideration prevention funding under the statutory authority of Section 318 including:

• PS21-2103: Integrated Viral Hepatitis Surveillance and Prevention Funding for Health Departments
• PS18-1802: Integrated Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Surveillance and Prevention Programs for Health Departments
• PS21-2010: Integrated HIV Programs for Health Departments to Support Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States
• PS19-1901: Strengthening STD Prevention and Control for Health Departments

NASTAD has also developed the resource “Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Template for STD 340B Correctional Facility Partnerships” to support health department’s partnerships with correctional facilities in outlining clear expectations regarding the syndemic services within the scope of the grants providing 340B eligibility, guide covered entities in meeting the 340B patient definition and share meaningful aggregate data that will help evaluate the partnership.

Please visit www.nastad.org/heptac or email hepatitis@nastad.org if you have questions about these resources or if you would like to learn more about the 340B program for viral hepatitis programs.