Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Hospitals, pharmacists and clinics say manufacturer limits on contract pharmacies are stranding rural patients
Summary
Hospital leaders, community pharmacists and clinic directors told a Kansas committee that manufacturer restrictions on where 340B‑discounted drugs may be dispensed are reducing access in rural areas and complicating operations.
TOPEKA, Kan. — Hospital leaders, community pharmacists and medical‑clinic directors testified Oct. 25 that manufacturer limits on where 340B‑discounted drugs may be dispensed are complicating care in rural Kansas and, in some cases, forcing patients to travel farther to pick up medicines.
“We have our own pharmacy, but we also contract with local independent pharmacies so patients can get medication closer to home,” said Matthew Schmidt, chief executive of Health Ministries Clinic in Harvey County. “When manufacturers restrict contract pharmacies, patients can lose local access.”
Why it matters: Contract pharmacies historically have allowed covered entities to dispense 340B medicines through off‑site locations. Witnesses described manufacturer actions that limit which pharmacies may be used for 340B fills, and they said the limits sometimes block the local pharmacy where a patient normally fills prescriptions.
Local examples: Paul Shiffrell, a pharmacist who operates Citizens Medical Center’s…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
