PhRMA launched a seven-figure advertising blitz in Washington D.C. through year-end, criticizing hospitals for marking up 340B discounted drugs and pocketing profits.
The campaign features a video 'Meet Mark' portraying hospital leaders celebrating profits from 340B medicine mark-ups, calling it a 'hidden tax' on patients, employers, and taxpayers.
340B program, established in 1992, allows eligible providers steep drug discounts; participation grew over 600% since 2000 to 60,000+ facilities.
In 2023, $66.3 billion in discounted outpatient drugs were purchased via 340B, worth $124.1 billion at wholesale.
PhRMA pushes Congress for reforms amid investigations, Republican proposals for reporting and guidelines, a Trump executive order, and HHS rebate pilot.