Savings from the 340B program are instrumental in allowing MedStar Health to meet the ever-evolving needs of the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia metropolitan area communities.
July 2024
As new care needs of the community become evident, 340B savings are utilized to invest in both a pharmacy discount program to provide medication for patients who couldn’t otherwise afford it and offering Fentanyl testing kits to those suffering from drug addiction.
340B Provides Medications for Low-Income Patients
The MedStar Health Franklin Square Medical Center Anticoagulation Clinic, which treats people at high risk for deadly blood clots, is an excellent example of how 340B helps MedStar Health directly respond to patient needs. In 2020, the anticoagulation clinic noticed an increase in patients who could not afford their medications. Looking for a way to help, the pharmacists and nurse practitioners contacted Daisy Butrim, MedStar Health’s 340B Program Manager for the Baltimore, Maryland, area.
Their Ask: Could savings from the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program go toward helping these patients pay for their medications?’
Daisy’s answer was an enthusiastic “Yes!” MedStar Health utilized 340B to help fund the RX Assist program, which covers the cost for patients who otherwise cannot afford their medications due to a lack of insurance or high co-pays. Over the past three years, they’ve found that increased medication adherence has reduced the chances that patients end up in the emergency room in life-threatening health-related situations.
“The anticoagulation clinic’s RX Assist initiative illustrates how providers depend on the savings from the 340B program to improve patient access to critical medications.”
– Daisy Butrim, 340B Program Manager for Baltimore, Maryland
340B Offers Fentanyl Testing Kits to Those Suffering From Addiction
Another example of 340B program savings being used to better meet the needs of the community can be found at MedStar Health Harbor Hospital. There, Jerry Gross is a peer recovery coach for those battling drug addiction.
He notes, “These days, so many other substances [are put] into drugs, and people who use them have no idea what’s going into their bodies.” Fentanyl, specifically, a powerful synthetic opioid similar to morphine but up to 100 times more potent, is now commonly mixed with other drugs and not detectable to those using without testing.
The Need: Fentanyl mixed with other drugs is a leading contributor to fatal drug overdoses in Maryland, with 90% of cocaine-related deaths in 2020 occurring in combination with Fentanyl.
The Response: 340B Savings were used to provide greater resources for those battling addiction and help curb the rise in Fentanyl-related drug overdoses.
MedStar Health hospitals were the first in the state to offer Fentanyl detection testing kits. As part of patient intake, all patients who arrive at MedStar Health emergency departments are screened for substance use disorders. Those with a positive screen for high-risk behavior speak with a peer recovery coach. Peer Recovery Coach Gross frequently mentions the availability of Fentanyl test kits to help patients practice safer habits if they are not immediately receptive to drug treatment options and has found that approach has been successful.
“I’m pleasantly surprised at how many test kits we’ve given out and how the community receives them. Even though it can be hard to change habits, the relationships that our peer recovery coaches have built with patients and the community help establish trust.”
– Daisy Butrim, 340B Program Manager for Baltimore, Maryland
MedStar Health is a shining example of how healthcare providers use the 340B program to directly care for patients in their community. 340B enables MedStar Health and certain other non-profit community healthcare providers to reach more people with more services.
About MedStar Health
MedStar Health is a not-for-profit community-based healthcare system that offers access to quality healthcare in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., via 10 hospitals and more than 300 other care locations. Its team of 34,000 associates makes patients and their families feel understood, appreciated, and confident in their care. Learn more about MedStar Health.
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