California economist: ‘The transparency is nonexistent’ in federal 340b drug discount program
By A. R. Baird
A California healthcare economist is calling for greater transparency in the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, arguing that lawmakers, taxpayers and even participating hospitals lack sufficient reporting to determine whether billions of dollars in drug discounts are being used as Congress intended.
Speaking on the Health Policy Podcast, Wayne Winegarden, senior fellow in business and economics and director of the Center for Medical Economics and Innovation at the Pacific Research Institute, said the decades-old program has grown dramatically while oversight has lagged.
“We need transparency. I guess that would be a great place to begin,” Winegarden said. “Typically, when you have a government program or government contract, or even just when you have just a donor giving money to an organization, there are certain reporting requirements. You kind of want to know how was the money being spent. Are you fulfilling the mission? … We don’t have that in this program. The transparency is nonexistent.”