Medicare pays $700M+ annually for discarded drugs. That's about to change
Data from 2020 show the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services paid almost $720 million for discarded drugs from single-use vials, and it’s been doing this for years.
But with the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act last November, drug manufacturers beginning next year will be required to provide refunds to CMS for certain discarded drugs.
The problem that this portion of the law is seeking to address is that single source drugs with 10% or more discarded units are dosed based on patient’s body weight or BSA, and can lead to significant waste and added expenses. CMS offers the example of:
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