We thought you’d ask.

Because not everyone, even those in health care services, knows what a group purchasing organization (GPO) is, we’ve provided a brief overview of the role of a GPO as it relates to alternate site providers and our value-add services. We hope this helps you better understand our business and if it might be right for you.

What’s a GPO?
In any industry, a GPO is an entity that negotiates discounts with manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors based on the collective purchasing power of its members.

What kind of GPO is MHA?MHA is an alternate site healthcare GPO. As such, we negotiate contracts on behalf of our alternate site health care providers (our members) with the pharmaceutical pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmaceutical wholesalers and medical distributors in the healthcare supply chain.

What’s an alternate site provider?
An alternate site provider is an entity that provides care to patients outside of a traditional hospital setting. These can include long-term care pharmacies that service nursing homes and assisted living facilities; home infusion pharmacies that service patients in the home or physician offices; specialty pharmacies that service patients with certain chronic conditions; combo and retail pharmacies; mail order prescription pharmaceutical services; and state clinics and correctional facilities, to name a few.

What’s a contract portfolio?
A contract portfolio is a subset of products sold at rates negotiated by a GPO. Products in MHA contract portfolios include branded and generic prescription pharmaceuticals; medical/surgical, laboratory; capital equipment; office supplies and administrative services; and food and nutrition products. Contract portfolios are organized by classes of trade.

What’s a class of trade?
Classes of trade are industry defined and help in identifying the nature of the business of the health care provider based on the patient population served. MHA’s contract portfolio covers 26 classes of trade, including the ten most used by alternate care providers.

1. Long-term Care
2. Home Infusion
3. State
4. Retail
5. Clinics and Physicians
6. Retail with Home Infusion or Long-Term Care Services (Combo Pharmacy)
7. Home Medical Equipment
8. Mail Order
9. Distributor
10. Specialty

Through these many classes of trade, members benefit from access, product choice, and cost savings.

Who are your business partners?
MHA is a trusted business partner to major pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical/surgical and capital equipment suppliers, medical distributors, and pharmaceutical wholesalers. These business partners benefit from having single-point access to the large alternate site market through MHA. MHA also provides added value to these partners through contract, administrative, financial, and data reporting.