By: Dennis Killian, Pharm.D., Ph.D., 340B ACE
Vice President, 340B Solutions
HRSA has made several changes to the data request list (DRL) for fiscal year 2026 that covered entities (CEs) need to be aware of in the event of a HRSA audit. The DRL, which HRSA provides to CEs in the initial stages of the audit process, delineates all the information an auditor has requested a CE to provide before the on-site or remote HRSA audit.
The changes and explanations described below also appear within the sample copy of the updated DRL, which is available from the 340B Prime Vendor Program (PVP) website.
Section 2B has a new statement directing CEs to include any amended Medicare cost reports (MCRs).
Section 2C phrasing was modified from “For each off-site facility that uses 340B drugs at the facility…” to the following statement: “For each service area/clinic that administers 340B drugs as part of medical encounters or generates prescriptions deemed 340B-eligible at entity-owned or contract pharmacies…”
Section 3C now includes additional clarifying information for 340B drug transactions in two areas: (1) the word “furnished” was added to this section’s initial phrasing, and (2) both data elements pertaining to dates were amended to clarify those for hospital-administered drugs.
Section 5A has several modifications and additions related to pharmaceutical purchasing accounts. Additional questions for each purchasing account were also included.
Completing Section 5A is usually resource-intensive for CEs, and the additional questions therein may make it even more time consuming than before.
Section 7 now uses “location” instead of “pharmacy” in several instances; additionally, “state-issued pharmacy license for any entity-owned pharmacy” now appears as a separate bullet from the ownership one listed above it.
Section 9A and 9D now both include the word “furnished” in addition to “administered or dispensed” as they relate to 340B-priced drugs billed to Medicaid fee-for-service.
Keeping abreast of DRL changes is critical for CEs to maintain a state of continual readiness for a HRSA audit. As a best practice, DRLs utilized during annual external audits should align with HRSA’s updated data request. While some DRL changes are minor in nature, they appear to indicate increased scrutiny related to locations receiving 340B-priced drugs and the demonstration of CE ownership for applicable locations (e.g., CE-owned pharmacies). Some of the more significant DRL changes may also make the process more time-consuming for your team to complete.
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