The Health Resources and Services Administration's Workplace Partnership for Life Hospital Organ Donation Campaign recently recognized more than 1,200 hospitals and transplant centers nationwide, including 314 small and rural hospitals, for outstanding efforts to promote organ donation awareness and registration.

The 17 Kentucky hospitals below reached platinum, gold, silver and bronze recognition levels for their organ, eye, and tissue donation and registration efforts between October 1, 2017, and April 30, 2018.

The Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) Office of Pharmacy Affairs will host a webinar on August 8 to assist covered entities with the recertification process for the 340B drug savings program.

Hospitals can join the webinar, which takes place from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (ET), by visiting https://hrsaseminar.adobeconnect.com/dpp_340b_pepi/.

The conference number is 800-967-7154 and participant passcode is 847321.

All 340B hospitals are required to recertify with HRSA to ensure they continue to meet the 340B hospital eligibility requirements. The hospital recertification process runs from August 15 to September 12. HRSA recently stated it may request additional information from covered entities during the registration process. These additional program integrity requests are specific to hospital eligibility documentation and contract pharmacy agreements of all covered entities...

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is collaborating with the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF), which will merge with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in May, to celebrate Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 12-18) through a series of activities recognizing the importance of keeping patients safe in all health care settings:

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The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has just released an interpretive rule explaining its position with respect to inclusion/exclusion of orphan drugs in the 340B program. This follows comments last week from HRSA in the wake of a court ruling that called the Agency's authority into question with respect to orphan drugs. The rule is available at http://www.ofr.gov/(S(ngyx2dlwh3mfa5sankgk5q04))/OFRUpload/OFRData/2014-17409_PI.pdf.

According to the summary, "The interpretive rule states that section 340B(e) of the PHSA excludes drugs with an orphan designation only when those drugs are transferred, prescribed, sold, or otherwise used for the rare condition or disease for which the drug was designated under section 526 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act)."

Another, more comprehensive 340B proposed rule has been under Office...