Alyce Katayama

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Alyce Katayama had more than 30 years of experience representing both institutional and individual clients on a wide range of business issues in the health care industry. She dealt regularly with issues surrounding the 340B Drug Discount Program and the Sunshine Act.

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Key Takeaway from 340B Conferences – Audits

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Audits, Certification/Recertification, Compliance, Contract Pharmacies, Covered Entities, Diversion, Duplicate Discounts
Yep. Audits. They are happening. And, chances are, if your covered entity (“CE”) hasn’t experienced one yet, it is coming to you sometime soon. At both 340B University (hosted by Apexus, the prime vendor for the 340B Drug Pricing Program) and the 340B Coalition Conference (hosted by 340B Health) many CEs we interacted with had already experienced … Continue Reading

Comparing 340B University and the 340B Coalition Conference

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Audits, Contract Pharmacies, Covered Entities, Guidance, Manufacturers
Maybe it is just us, but we wanted to know whether we would get a different experience at 340B University versus the 340B Coalition Conference.  In some ways, these conferences could not have been more different. But, at the heart of it all, each had the same underlying education of stakeholders so that covered entities … Continue Reading

Top Takeaway from 340B University and 340B Coalition Conference

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Compliance, Contract Pharmacies, Covered Entities, Guidance, Manufacturers
This year we once again had boots on the ground for 340B University and the 340B Winter Coalition Conference for a four-day 340B Drug Pricing Program (340B Program) adventure. 340B University is free of charge and is put on by the 340B Prime Vendor, Apexus. The 340B Coalition Conference, on the other hand, charges a fee … Continue Reading

Site Neutral Payments Put 340B Child Sites in Jeopardy

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Certification/Recertification, Compliance, Contract Pharmacies, Legislation
Just when you thought you understood all the threats facing the 340B Drug Pricing Program (“340B Program”), along comes the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (“BBA 2015). BBA 2015 changes the way in which new off-campus hospital outpatient departments (“HOPDs”) will be paid come January 1, 2017. This change could have a substantial impact on … Continue Reading

PhRMA 2-0 in The Orphan Drug Wars

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Compliance, Covered Entities, Guidance, Manufacturers, Orphan Drugs
U.S. Federal District Court Judge for the District of Columbia, Rudolph Contreras, ruled Wednesday, October 14, 2015 that manufacturers need not offer 340B discounts for orphan drugs sold to a specified group of covered entities (CEs), regardless of how the orphan drug is used. To make a very long story short, in 2010, the Patient Protection … Continue Reading

Breaking Down the Proposed Omnibus Guidance – Child Sites

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Certification/Recertification, Compliance, Contract Pharmacies, Covered Entities, Guidance
It is coming down to the wire – comments are due on the 340B Drug Pricing Program Omnibus Guidance (“Guidance”) in about two weeks!  On October 28, 2015 the comment period will be closed and there will be nothing left to do but sit back and wait. This post will focus on an aspect of … Continue Reading

Breaking Down the Proposed Omnibus Guidance – Covered Entity Eligibility, Registration & Termination

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Certification/Recertification, Compliance, Covered Entities, Guidance
As promised, the blog will be taking an in-depth look at discrete topics included in the proposed 340B Drug Pricing Program Omnibus Guidance (“Guidance”), which was published August 28, 2015. The proposed Guidance touches on almost every aspect of the 340B Program, including covered entity (“CE”) eligibility; the patient definition; Group Purchasing Organization prohibitions; contract … Continue Reading

The Proposed 340B Drug Pricing Program Omnibus Guidelines Have Landed

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Audits, Certification/Recertification, Compliance, Contract Pharmacies, Covered Entities, Diversion, Duplicate Discounts, Legislation, Manufacturers
It is official: The Health Resources and Services Administration (“HRSA”) has published the long-awaited “Mega Guidance.” The Proposed 340B Drug Pricing Program Omnibus Guidelines (“Guidelines”) were published in the Federal Register on August 28, 2015. Any comments must be submitted on or before October 27, 2015. The proposed Guidelines aim to “add clarity in the marketplace for all … Continue Reading

Finally! HRSA Proposes Manufacturer Civil Monetary Penalties

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Compliance, Covered Entities, Legislation, Manufacturers, Orphan Drugs
On June 17, 2015 the Health Resources and Services Administration (“HRSA”) finally published its much anticipated proposed rule, the 340B Drug Pricing Program Ceiling Price and Manufacturer Civil Monetary Penalties Regulation. Comments must be submitted via the online portal, email, or US Mail by August 17, 2015. Keep in mind, all submitted comments will be … Continue Reading

Near Miss on Congressional Overhaul of 340B Program

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Audits, Compliance, Contract Pharmacies, Covered Entities, Legislation, Manufacturers, Orphan Drugs
In just a matter of days, changes to the 340B Program were proposed and then withdrawn from H.R. 6, The 21st Century Cures Act. Had hospitals, health systems, and related lobbying groups not been closely watching the Act, the changes might have quietly gone through when the 21st Century Cures Act was unanimously passed out of Committee on May 21, 2015. The 21st Century Cures initiative, advanced by the House Energy … Continue Reading

How Much Will You Pay for an Inaccurate 340B Ceiling Price?

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Compliance, Legislation, Manufacturers
Under the authority granted it by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is moving forward to laying the groundwork for imposing civil monetary penalties on manufacturers that overcharge covered entities under the 340B Program. HRSA has submitted its second Information Collection Request (ICR) regarding calculation and verification … Continue Reading

Key Dates Approaching for Title X Family Planning Grantees in the 340B Program

By Alyce Katayama and Elizabeth Gebarski on Posted in Certification/Recertification, Covered Entities
Mark your calendars! Calling all Title X Family Planning clinics that participate in the 340B Program—recertification opens May 13, 2015 and that means 340B Participant Change Forms must be submitted before that date. Online 340B Participant Change Forms take between five and ten days to process. These forms will not be processed during recertification. However, change requests … Continue Reading

340B Reform Legislation: Is Anything in the Offing?

By Alyce Katayama on Posted in Legislation
As readers of this blog already know, manufacturers and some legislators believe the 340B program has grown too large, suffers from mission creep and needs reform. They argue that the program’s purpose is simply to reduce drug costs for the uninsured and the indigent, nothing more. All three of the federal agencies with program oversight … Continue Reading

340B Program Covered Entities: Some Items for Your Worry List

By Alyce Katayama on Posted in Contract Pharmacies, Covered Entities, Manufacturers, Orphan Drugs
When 340B covered entities contemplate the future, they can find a number of issues to worry about. Here is a thumbnail on some of them. Orphan Drugs There is a possibility that the orphan drug issue will be resolved unfavorably to covered entities. That issue arises out of a 2014  court decision, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers … Continue Reading

The Message Is Clear from OPA Director Pedley

By Alyce Katayama on Posted in Audits, Compliance, Contract Pharmacies, Covered Entities, Duplicate Discounts, Manufacturers, Orphan Drugs
Covered entities should be constantly preparing for  audit.  That  was the message, loud and clear, from Office of Pharmacy Affairs Director, Cmdr. Krista Pedly, who spoke by webcast  at the recent Winter Conference of the 340B Coalition in San Francisco.  That preparation, she said, should include making use of the compliance tools available through Apexus … Continue Reading

340B Program Participants: It’s Time to Ramp Up Compliance

By Alyce Katayama on Posted in Compliance, Covered Entities
340B covered entities need to revisit and perhaps ramp up their compliance efforts.  The director of the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Office of Pharmacy Affairs has been very open in touting the fact that HRSA has invested in program integrity to make sure that manufacturers and covered entities remain compliant and that benefits for … Continue Reading
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