Senate panel advances bill targeting 340B practices after hours of amendments and debate

The Oregon Senate Committee on Health Care advanced House Bill 2385 A on a series of contested amendment votes Tuesday, moving a measure focused on the 340B drug discount program toward the Senate floor after lengthy debate about penalties, patient benefit sharing and reporting requirements.

The bill makes it an unlawful trade practice for drug manufacturers to take specified actions that limit or interfere with a pharmacy's ability to acquire or dispense 340B drugs. Committee members debated four proposed amendments that would add a civil penalty, widen the definition of covered entities, require greater sharing of savings with low‑income patients and mandate annual reporting to the Department of Consumer and Business Services.

Why it matters: The 340B program is designed to allow qualifying health care providers to buy outpatient drugs at discounted prices so those savings can be reinvested in patient services. Critics and supporters in the hearing described the program’s growth and the role of middlemen differently: supporters argued…