Value of the 340B Drug Pricing Program at DRH Health
DRH Health comprises a 110-bed hospital in Duncan, Duncan Regional Hospital, an 18-bed hospital in Waurika, Jefferson County Hospital, and 16 clinics throughout five counties (Stephens, Jefferson, Cotton, Comanche, and Grady) in southwest Oklahoma. We provide acute, primary, and specialty care within our region through state-of-the-art technologies and facilities designed to accommodate patients of all ages and needs. We also operate several programs to help improve the health and wellness of those families, friends, and patients we serve across our region.
Our hospitals and clinics offer several rural health clinics, specialty clinics, a cancer treatment center, and an imaging center, all geared to serve families across Southwest Oklahoma, including the uninsured and Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries. Because of our service and commitment to care for the uninsured and underinsured, we can access the 340B drug program to leverage access to discounted outpatient drugs that help us better serve all of our populations while allowing us to absorb the rapidly rising costs of drugs each year.
The Communities We Serve
In 2021, through our partnership with Pathways to a Healthier You, we completed our community health needs assessment (CHNA) to identify the most critical healthcare needs and issues in our communities and have developed strategies to address them. Behavioral health services, healthy living options, including access to primary care, and safety and injury prevention were at the top of the list for our communities. For the 2023 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), please visit our Pathways website by following the previous link.
DRH Health supports behavioral health and primary care access, along with several other programs that support our CHIP through our 340B savings. In FY2023, DRH Health’s 340B savings were $2.4 million, which fell well below the total cost of Uncompensated and Charity Care provided across our health system—an estimated $36.4 million. The 340B savings fell even further below the total Community Benefit supplied in the same fiscal year.
Investing in Those We Serve
The 340B Drug Pricing Program provides eligible hospitals with the financial flexibility needed to invest in tailored solutions that address the unique needs of our communities. Should the 340B Drug Pricing Program be scaled back or eliminated, many rural and critical programs/facilities nationwide could not maintain their vital commitments to providing care in their communities.
With the use of our 340B savings, DRH Health has and continues to develop several strategies to help increase the health and well-being of those we serve. Here is a snapshot of some of the programs supported by the use of 340B savings:
- Thirteen Rural Health Clinics across four counties in southwest Oklahoma offering the highest level of primary care access for all ages.
- A growing behavioral health service line includes outpatient addiction and behavioral medicine, an outpatient geriatric outpatient counseling program, and an inpatient geriatric psychiatry program for the region.
- Diabetic supply program that provides glucometers and test strips to our diabetic patients to monitor their current and future diabetic needs.
- Bedside medication delivery: A program kicking off in 2024, this free service will ensure patients receive prescribed discharged medications promptly with robust education to promote medication adherence and eliminate barriers, like the lack of transportation, to improve health outcomes and avoid readmissions.
We Are Committed
DRH Health is committed to listening, learning, and working with the communities we serve. We work hard to address our region’s most essential and pressing healthcare needs by working on the highest priorities and leveraging partnerships to improve our community’s health, wellness, and trust.