This episode will provide members a quick refresher on payer mandated alternative distribution models, commonly known as brown bagging and white bagging. We will review potential risks inherent to alternative distribution models and explain key factors motivating payers and manufacturers to adopt these methods. Finally, we will focus on certain situations where payer mandated policies can negatively affect patient care and what can be done to avoid such scenarios.
SPEAKERS
Tom Kraus is Vice President for Government Relations at ASHP. He is a graduate of University of Michigan (BS Biology), Georgetown University Law Center (Doctor Of Law), and The Johns Hopkins University (MHS, Health Policy).
Tom previously served as the Chief of Staff and Associate Commissioner for Legislation at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He was also a senior policy advisor to Sen. Ted Kennedy and Sen. Tom Harkin on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where he served as Deputy Staff Director for Health.
Kyle Robb, PharmD, BCPS, currently serves as State Policy & Advocacy Associate at the ASHP. Kyle supports ASHP members and State Affiliates as they seek to advance the practice of pharmacy through engagement with state government.
Kyle is an alumnus of the Virginia Commonwealth University/American College of Clinical Pharmacy/American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Congressional Health Care Policy Fellow Program and served as a Health Policy Fellow on the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. Prior to working in policy, Kyle was a pharmacist at the University of Virginia Health System.
David Chen, B.S.Pharm., M.B.A., is the Assistant Vice President for Pharmacy Leadership and Planning and the ASHP Staff Liaison for the Section’s Executive Committee and member groups.
Chen joined ASHP in September 2004, and had previously served the role as Director of Pharmacy at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville, MD, including the Kessler/Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital. Prior experience includes different Director of Pharmacy roles in Texas and Florida and central operations supervisor for the University of Maryland Medical Center Pharmacy. Additionally, he was a Regional Marketing Manager for the west coast and Regional Recruiter for the northeast with Owen Healthcare, Inc. (now part of Cardinal Health).
Chen received his B.S.Pharm. from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and completed the Director-in-Training program for Owen Healthcare, Inc in Texas. He earned his M.B.A from the Loyola University Maryland.
His responsibilities with ASHP include working with pharmacy leaders in multi-hospital health systems, coordinating pharmacy leadership and management resources with Section members, developing ASHP’s annual Conference for Pharmacy Leaders, assisting with the ASHP Foundation’s Pharmacy Forecast, and supporting achievement of the Practice Advancement Initiative (PAI).