Powers Principal William von Oehsen and Associate Shuchi Parikh authored a report for the North Carolina legislature that led to the introduction and recent passage of new legislation.
In early 2019, the Powers team was enlisted by the North Carolina Legislative Services Commission to develop a proposal for a correctional partnership through which drugs purchased under the federal 340B drug pricing program can be used for the North Carolina prison population.
After consulting various stakeholders, including the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, and the University of North Carolina Health System, von Oehsen and Parikh released their report, which can be seen here. The report proposed three key recommendations that would allow North Carolina’s Department of Public Safety to partner with 340B program participants in order to maintain or improve care and significantly reduce drug costs for the North Carolina inmate population.
The Powers report led to the introduction of the Inmate Health Care & 340B Program (H106), which was then signed into law on July 19th, 2019. The law, which can be read in full here, includes many recommendations offered by von Oehsen and Parikh, including a 340B section that is exactly as recommended in the Powers report.
William von Oehsen
Bill has extensive experience in general health law, legislation and policy, especially in the areas of pharmaceutical pricing, food and drug law, materials management, managed care and third party reimbursement. He has more than 27 years of experience on pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement matters, including the 340B drug discount program, the Medicaid drug rebate program, Medicare Part D, Robinson-Patman, and state Medicaid and pharmacy laws. In addition to representing safety-net providers participating in the 340B program, Bill provides guidance to pharmacies, pharmacy-related vendors and consultants, states, local governments, and other healthcare entities in their efforts to improve access to pharmaceutical care and to ensure compliance with drug pricing laws.
Shuchi Parikh
Shuchi focuses on drug pricing and reimbursement matters, including the rapidly-evolving 340B drug discount program. She has experience counseling a variety of 340B covered entities, including hospitals, federally qualified health centers, Ryan White clinics, tribal and Indian health centers and others. She counsels clients on appealing audit findings; internal and external 340B program audits; preparing self-disclosure letters; and evaluating compliance with Medicaid billing and reimbursement for 340B drugs. Additionally, Shuchi handles drafting and reviewing contract pharmacy agreements, analyzing the anti-kickback risks of 340B partnerships, and advocacy and coalition building.