7 Best Practices To Optimize Your 340B Program In 2026

The 340B Drug Pricing Program has reached unprecedented scale, with discounted purchases hitting $66.3 billion in 2023, a 23.4% increase from the previous year. Yet growth alone doesn’t equal success. As covered entities navigate mounting regulatory complexity and manufacturer restrictions, the difference between a functional program and an exceptional one lies in strategic optimization

Looking for the perfect partner to elevate your 340B program? DosePacker has your back. Our contact pharmacy services streamline compliance, optimize workflows, and maximize savings, so you can focus on what matters most: serving your patients.

Here are seven proven practices we vouch by to transform your 340B program’s performance while safeguarding compliance.

1. Master Your Data Management

Data is the foundation of your 340B program. Understanding how information flows from your Electronic Health Record (EHR) to your Third-Party Administrator (TPA) is non-negotiable for both compliance and optimization.

Your data journey begins in the EHR, where it’s extracted to generate flat files. These files are ingested by your TPA, which calculates accumulations for 340B savings, GPO pricing, and WAC pricing. The complexity lies in interpretation, whether you’re working with Charge Description Masters (CDMs), National Drug Codes (NDCs), or both, understanding these codes and quantities is essential.

Action Items

Partner with your IT team to map your complete data flow. Implement automated quality checks that flag anomalies before they become compliance issues.

Regular reconciliation between purchasing data and dispensing records reveals discrepancies early, preventing revenue leakage and audit findings. According to HRSA guidelines, accurate data management is essential for preventing overcharges and ensuring eligibility verification.

2. Prioritize Audit Consistency Over Volume

When it comes to 340B audits, frequency beats size every time. Smaller, regular audits consistently outperform annual comprehensive reviews in identifying both compliance issues and savings opportunities.

Monthly or quarterly audits offer several advantages: they reveal trends invisible in annual snapshots, enable immediate corrective action before minor issues compound, and foster a culture of accountability. While sample sizes may be smaller, the depth of analysis benefits your program in the long term.

Action Items

Develop a standardized audit protocol to examine key risk areas, including duplicate discount prevention, patient eligibility, contract pharmacy compliance, and pricing accuracy. Document findings meticulously and track remediation to ensure complete resolution.

3. Build Strategic Partnerships

No 340B program operates in isolation. Success depends on collaborative relationships throughout the ecosystem. Cultivate strong connections with your TPAs; they process your data and calculate savings, making regular communication essential.

Maintain clear channels with wholesalers for smoother chargeback processing and early supply chain warnings. Leverage DosePacker’s resources for training and regulatory guidance. If you utilize contract pharmacies, ensure all parties understand their compliance obligations.

Action Items:

Schedule quarterly business reviews with key partners. Participate in industry conferences and peer networks; these relationships prove invaluable when facing operational challenges. Collaboration extends collective knowledge and fosters the continuous learning critical in an evolving regulatory landscape.

4. Right-Size Your Team Structure

Understaffing remains one of the most significant yet overlooked threats to 340B success. Your team size directly influences your ability to identify opportunities, maintain compliance, and optimize savings.

Warning signs you need additional resources include:

• Backlogs in eligibility verifications
• Delayed TPA responses
• Inability to conduct regular internal audits
• Limited capacity for strategic enhancement
• Single points of failure in which critical knowledge resides with a single person

Action Items

Calculate the ROI of proper staffing; adding a dedicated FTE often pales in comparison to the revenue captured through improved program management. Cross-train team members to prevent knowledge silos and ensure continuity. The investment in 340B staff delivers measurable returns.

5. Establish Steering Committee Governance

Executive visibility transforms 340B from an operational function to a strategic priority. A steering committee combining daily operations experts with C-Suite leadership creates an essential governance structure.

Effective committees include pharmacy directors, 340B coordinators, and compliance officers, with involvement from the CFO, COO, or CEO. Add representatives from finance, IT, legal, and clinical departments for a comprehensive cross-functional perspective.

Action Items

Hold quarterly meetings with dynamic agendas promoting transparency and alignment. These sessions should focus on strategic discussions about program direction, risk mitigation, and growth opportunities, not just on metric review. Document decisions and track progress between meetings.

6. Prevent Duplicate Discounts Aggressively

Duplicate discounting, applying both a 340B discount and another rebate to the same drug, represents a serious compliance violation. Research indicates 30-50% of 340B purchases at list prices could be at risk

This issue has intensified with the explosive growth in contract pharmacy arrangements. The complexity of tracking inventory across multiple locations creates significant risk exposure.

Action Items:

Implement systems that track 340B inventory separately (physically or virtually). Ensure Medicaid claims clearly identify non-340B drugs. Work with your TPA to implement a claim-level validation flag that flags potential duplicates before submission. Establish clear contractual obligations with contract pharmacies and conduct regular compliance audits.

7. Leverage Technology And Automation

Modern 340B management demands modern solutions. Artificial intelligence and machine learning now identify patterns indicative of duplicate discounts, flag eligibility changes in real-time, and automate routine validation processes with unprecedented accuracy.

According to Cognizant’s analysis, AI-enabled solutions identify invalid chargebacks, duplicate discounts, and pricing discrepancies with an accuracy exceeding that of manual review. These technologies can triangulate data across systems, combining HRSA databases with indirect sales data to verify contract eligibility.

Action Items

Explore 340B management platforms offering automated eligibility verification, real-time monitoring, and predictive analytics. While initial investment may seem significant, ROI in prevented revenue leakage and reduced compliance risk often materializes within months. Start with pilot programs in high-risk areas to demonstrate value.

Implementing Your Optimization Strategy

You don’t need to tackle everything simultaneously. Start with one or two practices offering the greatest immediate impact for your organization. Build momentum through early wins, then systematically expand efforts.

The 340B landscape continues evolving with regulatory changes, manufacturer restrictions, and new compliance requirements emerging regularly. Organizations establishing robust foundations through these practices position themselves to adapt, thrive, and continue serving their communities effectively.

Remember, 340B optimization serves a higher purpose: stretching scarce federal resources to provide comprehensive services to vulnerable populations. With program purchases exceeding $66 billion annually and serving over 30 million patients, even modest improvements in efficiency translate into significant real-world impact.

The difference between good and exceptional programs isn’t luck; it’s intentional, strategic optimization. Connect with DosePacker to seamlessly implement these best practices. Our contract pharmacy platform is designed specifically for 340B optimization, combining cutting-edge technology with compliance expertise to help you maximize savings and minimize risk.

Ready to transform your 340B program? Let’s make it count.