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Crescent 340B Stats

Support the 340B Program

What is 340B and why do we have it?

  • The 340B Drug Pricing Program allows hospitals and other health care providers (“covered entities”) to obtain discounted prices on “covered outpatient drugs” from drug manufacturers.
  • For more than 25 years, the 340B program has been at the intersection of health centers’ ability to manage three primary goals for health centers:  Access, quality and financial viability.
    • Access – 340B enables health centers to ensure patients can afford prescribed medications, particularly underserved and uninsured patients.
    • Quality – Pharmaceuticals enable health centers to treat acute conditions, manage chronic disease and optimize health outcomes.
    • Financial Viability – 340B savings enable health centers to support key patient care services that may otherwise be unfunded and unavailable to patients.
  • ​​​​​​Crescent Community Health Center (Crescent) leverages savings from the 340B program on behalf of all Crescent patients, regardless of income or ability to pay, to ensure access to safe and appropriate medications. This savings generates enormous community benefit by allowing us to reinvest savings in our care model for all patients.

What is going on now with 340B?

The program is under attack. Big pharmacy is currently attempting to dismantle this important program that ensures Iowans can access affordable prescription drugs. With higher drug prices, patients will have to choose between paying higher costs to manage their health or forgoing providing food, housing, etc. If Crescent lost access to the savings generated from the 340B program, we would no longer have the funds to provide the community benefit we currently manage for our patient population.

What we are doing?

Advocacy, advocacy and more advocacy!  We have already reached out to Senator Grassley’s office, Senator Ernst's office and Representative Finkenauer's office. We will be sending a letter to the editor or op-ed to the Telegraph Herald in coordination with Mercy Family Pharmacy and Infocus Pharmacy. 

Why is this happening?

While there has been no single reason given by the pharmacy industry, it seems to be linked to financial returns to the pharmacy industry and the contract pharmacy side of the business. There are ‘in house’ and ‘contract’ pharmacy arrangements in the 340B spectrum. The contract pharmacy components are the targets based on recent actions taken to date.

How can you help?

We need our supporters to advocate, advocate, advocate! Click HERE to easily email, call and/or tweet your Members of Congress!