20Ways Summer Hospital 2026

Improving Patient Care & Pharmacy Cost Containment

The 340B Drug Pricing Program is vital for safety-net healthcare providers, allowing

them to enhance access to medications, reduce medication costs for vulnerable

populations, and reinvest savings into community health initiatives. The 340B Drug

Pricing Program is a U.S. federal program established under Section 340B of the

Public Health Service Act of 1992. It requires pharmaceutical manufacturers that

participate in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program to provide outpatient drugs to

eligible healthcare organizations, referred to as covered entities, at significantly

reduced prices.

230,000

contract pharmacy/covered entity relationships

connect more than 32,000 pharmacies with

12,000+ 340B covered entities in 2025.

90%

of CVS and Walgreens retail locations

function as 340B contract pharmacies.

Source: Drug Channels Institute

Source: Drug Channels Institute

80%

of total 340B purchases are attributed to

Disproportionate Share Hospitals, one of

the six 340B-eligible hospital types.

Source: Drug Channels Institute

RXinsider’s Market Intelligence

Report highlights are extracted from

the Pharmacy500 340B Third-Party

Administrators 2026 Report.

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE 340B PROGRAM:

Purpose:

• To enable covered entities to stretch scarce resources, improving access

to medications for uninsured or underinsured patients while maintaining or

expanding services.

Covered Entities:

Eligible organizations include:

• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)

• Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantees

• Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs)

• Disproportionate Share Hospitals (DSHs)

• Rural Referral Centers (RRCs) and others.

Discounted Pricing:

• Drug Manufacturers provide outpatient drugs at reduced costs, typically

calculated based on Medicaid pricing formulas, allowing covered entities to

achieve savings.

Program Integrity and Compliance:

• Covered entities must ensure drugs purchased under 340B are dispensed only

to eligible patients.

• Participants are required to avoid duplicate discounts (e.g., claiming 340B

pricing and Medicaid rebates simultaneously) and diversion (providing 340B

drugs to ineligible patients).

Contract Pharmacy Model:

• Covered entities can partner with external pharmacies to dispense 340B drugs

on their behalf, expanding access to the benefits of the program.

Oversight and Administration:

• Administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

• Covered entities and manufacturers are subject to audits to ensure compliance.

POINT-OF-SALE

(POS) SYSTEMS

INTEL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

INTEL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

340B THIRD-PARTY

ADMINISTRATORS

(TPAs)

INTEL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

INTEL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

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