|
Dear Health Center Leader:
HRSA, in partnership with HHS partners, launched the HRSA Health Center COVID-19 Therapeutics program to directly allocate a limited supply of several oral antiviral pills for the outpatient treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 to select HRSA-supported health centers. The initial phase of the program (December 2021) provided limited access to these medications to approximately 200 health centers nationwide. Now, we are expanding access to the program and invite your health center to participate.
To confirm your participation:
Log into the Therapeutics section of our Health Center COVID-19 Online Community and complete the “Site Selection” information by 11:59 p.m. your local time this Thursday, March 10. Note: The site you select must have pharmacy capacity.
The HRSA Health Center COVID-19 Therapeutics Online Community Guide document explains how to access and navigate the Therapeutics section of the Health Center COVID-19 Online Community, and provides additional information on pharmacy capacity.
We have sent this message to your health center's CEO and Project Director, but we only need one response from your organization.
This program is separate from, and meant to supplement, any state/jurisdictional allocation of COVID-19 oral antivirals. Receiving state/jurisdictional oral antiviral allocations does not prevent your health center from participating in this program.
Background
The HRSA Health Center COVID-19 Therapeutics program began incrementally at select health centers that had pharmacy capacity and specialized in caring for particularly underserved and disproportionately affected populations (e.g., serve a significant number of people experiencing homelessness, migratory/seasonal agricultural workers, residents of public housing, people 65 and older, and those with limited English proficiency), or which reported significant COVID-19 testing activity in the biweekly Health Center COVID-19 Survey.
On Monday, March 7, the program expanded its reach by doubling the number of health centers invited to participate to over 400. This expansion will further increase geographic representation and access to health centers serving rural communities and low-income and minority patients. As supply increases, HHS and HRSA plan to expand the program to additional health centers in the coming months.
Health centers store, dispense, and report on the limited supply of COVID-19 therapeutics consistent with guidance from HHS (FDA and NIH) and all applicable state/local laws.
HRSA Health Center COVID-19 Therapeutics Program Requirements
-
Agree to HHS Requirements (noted below) in the Health Partner Order Portal (HPoP) system.
--Dispense or administer COVID-19 therapeutics consistent with FDA authorization AND in accordance with guidance from HHS.
--Report data on how many courses of COVID-19 therapeutics have been dispensed or administered, and on-hand inventory information. All required data will be reported through HHS designated systems in defined reporting cadence (daily, weekly etc.).
--Not charge patients for drug costs. HHS is making COVID-19 therapeutics available at no cost to authorized providers.
--Dispense COVID-19 therapeutics regardless of the therapeutic recipient’s coverage status or ability to pay for COVID-19 therapeutics dispensing fees. Providers may seek appropriate reimbursement from a program or plan that covers COVID-19 therapeutics dispensing fees for the therapeutics recipient. Costs should not be a barrier to patient access for these medications.
-
Agree to complete the biweekly Health Center COVID-19 Survey. Questions 17-17b relate to how you distributed the therapeutics received through this program: the total number of antiviral courses dispensed and the number of antiviral courses dispensed by race/ethnicity and special population status.
Next Steps to Participate
- Log-in to the Therapeutics section of the Health Center COVID-19 Online Community and complete the Site Selection information (note: the site must have pharmacy capacity) by 11:59 p.m. your local time on Thursday, March 10.
- Once we receive and verify your site selection, HRSA will send a welcome email to your Project Director, CEO, and the HPoP contacts affiliated with the site you selected. This notification email will alert you that your therapeutics ordering module is on and will provide program updates and resources on ordering and reporting. At this point, your health center is ready to place a therapeutics order.
- If you complete the Site Selection information by the deadline above, you’ll have access to ordering in HPoP on Monday, March 14.
- You may place your first therapeutics order by Tuesday, March 15, no later than 11:59 p.m. your local time.
If you do not complete the Site Selection information by 11:59 p.m. your local time on Thursday, March 10, then you would be onboarded on Friday, March 18, and then able to order before the Tuesday, March 22, therapeutics ordering deadline.
Resources
For additional information and support, please review the following training and technical assistance resources:
If you still have questions, please submit them to Health Center Program Support. Select “HRSA Health Center COVID-19 Therapeutics Program” under “COVID-19.”
Thank you for all that you continue to do to serve your patients and communities,
HRSA Health Center COVID-19 Therapeutics Team
|
