Overview

Decrease medication costs for your patients, your pharmacy, and your health center.

Today's community health center is constantly challenged to provide high quality, low cost health care to an expanding population. The 340Better^SM pharmacy purchasing program is designed to support you and your pharmacy.

From 340B to 340Better^SM:
In 1992, Congress passed the 340B legislation, also known as PHS, to lower pharmaceutical costs by 40% for health centers across the United States. Specifically, it provides access to reduced price prescription drugs to more than 9,150 health care facilities certified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as "covered entities." These centers, in turn, serve more than 10 million people in all 50 states, commonwealths and territories. Unfortunately, many of these facilities have not yet taken advantage of this lower cost pricing.

The Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC)/Cardinal Health 340Better^SM pharmacy program contracts with pharmacy manufacturers for pricing below 340B and locks that contract pricing in for at least one calendar year. By targeting high cost/high volume pharmaceuticals and having no monthly or annual program charges, the 340Better^SM program controls the cost of medications that impact a pharmacy budget.

The high number of centers purchasing through the 340Better^SM program empowers TACHC to negotiate large discounts on pricing. This collaboration maximizes the discount for all health centers participating in the program. The 340Better^SM program is based on the group volume for all participating centers as opposed to traditional programs that charge individual health centers higher costs depending on their size and location.

340Better^SM Distribution

Cardinal Health offers e-Procurement accounts to all 340Better^SM centers at no charge. This web based ordering application, www.cardinal.com, gives health centers the ability to make the best purchasing decision for products at the lowest cost. This system information is updated at least daily giving members information that is accurate and current.

When utilizing www.cardinal.com, the products are listed in ascending order by cost. 340Better^SM contract products are listed first and highlighted, allowing health centers to easily compare pharmaceuticals within the program. Health centers can search.for generic equivalents, sort by size and cost, toggle between unit price and package price and view by strength and count.

Cardinal Health's vast distribution network throughout the United States ensures equal distribution to every health center regardless of their size or location, including in-house pharmacies, dispensaries, contracted retail pharmacies and other arrangements.

The distribution contract negotiated by TACHC/Cardinal Health for the 2003-2008 period is even lower than the previously negotiated contract for 1999-2002.

In memory of one of our dear friends, Jeff Maslar at Cardinal Health who passed away on December 21, 2003. Thank you for all the work that you did to make this program a success.