340Basics 340B Coalition Summer Conference Recap

As we came together and celebrated the 30-year anniversary of the 340B drug pricing program, we gained helpful insight and updates from compliance experts, federal officials, and health providers on how we can advocate for and protect 340B for our organizations and patients. The conference provided opportunities to meet with peers through stakeholder breakout sessions, exhibit hall events and networking receptions, while also giving access to vendor demos, community health center updates, workshop options in multiple areas of 340B and much more.

340Basics, a featured partner of this year’s conference, hosted a private event at The Orchard Terrace at the Gaylord Hotel, offering guests a night of extravagant food and music while enjoying the view over National Harbor. It was a fantastic evening of networking with others in the industry and getting to know clients and partners in such a splendid setting. During the rest of the conference, 340Basics participated in other product demos, exhibits and networking meals, as we were grateful to both share our services and learn from others in the industry.

We were honored to hear from this year’s featured Keynote speakers, a group of knowledgeable individuals respected in the 340B industry and others alike. Carole Johnson, Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), provided a welcome and opening remarks as she reviewed major 340B developments so far in 2022, reflected on the program’s history and future potential, discussed ongoing challenges, and emphasized our community’s shared patient care mission. She was joined by Dr. Emeka Egwim, Director of the Office of Pharmacy Affairs (OPA) within the Office of Special Health Initiatives (OSHI) in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), for this opening welcome.

The conference was also obliged to hear from Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, who served as the 20^th Surgeon General of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Dr. Adams is now a Distinguished Professor, Presidential Fellow, and Executive Director of Health Equity Initiatives at Purdue University. 340B Health CEO Maureen Testoni and Dr. Adams engaged in a Q&A-style conversation on the challenges pharmacists and other healthcare professionals face following the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as addressing inequities in healthcare delivery.

Overall, attendees from 340Basics greatly enjoyed connecting and learning from knowledgeable peers and experts, and were thrilled to highlight our services as a preferred third-party administrator while celebrating 30 years of such an integral program. As 2022 continues, we will take what we’ve learned at such an excellent conference and apply it to how we serve clients every day.