HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration on Monday sent letters to six drug makers warning that they could be fined if they don't discount drug prices for pharmacies participating in the 340B program, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from the District of Columbia, Georgia, and Nevada.

• District of Columbia: HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration on Monday sent letters to six drug makers warning that they could be fined if they don't discount drug prices for pharmacies participating in the 340B program. According to the letter, the drugmakers "must immediately begin offering its covered outpatient drugs at the 340B ceiling price" or face potential fines of up to $5,000 for each instance of overcharging (King, Fierce Healthcare, 5/17; Brady, Modern Healthcare, 5/17).

• Georgia: CDC deputy director Anne Schuchat announced on Monday that she is retiring after 33 years with the agency. "After a long and fulfilling career in public health, infectious diseases, and epidemiology, it is time for me to smell some roses," she said in a statement. While Schuchat did not specify the reasons for her retirement, a person familiar with the matter told Politico that Schuchat had clashed with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in recent months. However, Schuchat denied the claim, saying Walensky "is a wonderful leader, colleague, and now friend. I cannot even imagine having tensions with her" (Edwards, NBC News, 5/17; Sun et al., Washington Post, 5/17; Cancryn/Banco, Politico, 5/17).

• Nevada: The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) on Monday announced that it will require all attendees, exhibitors, and staff at its HIMSS21 event in Las Vegas to be vaccinated against Covid-19. "After careful consideration and consultation with internal and external health and safety experts, HIMSS has determined that HIMSS21 can be the most robust, productive, and interactive conference possible by requiring vaccinations for entry," HIMSS said on its website (Landi, Fierce Healthcare, 5/17; Gillespie, Modern Healthcare, 5/17; Reuter, MedCity News, 5/17).