Effective April 1, 2022, the Alabama Medicaid Agency will: 

  1. Require Vascepa to be billed with a Dispense as Written (DAW) Code of 9. DAW Code of 9 indicates the following: Substitution Allowed by Prescriber but Plan Requests Brand. This value is used when the prescriber has indicated, in a manner specified by prevailing law, that generic substitution is permitted, but the Plan requests the brand product to be dispensed.
  2. Require Prior Authorization (PA) for Icosapent Ethyl (generic Vascepa). Brand Vascepa will be added as preferred.
  3. Require Prior Authorization (PA) for Colchicine capsules (generic Mitigare). Brand Mitigare will remain non-preferred.
  4. Treatments for COVID-19 will remain accessible and available through the pharmacy benefit on an outpatient basis through the Federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) period. Approval was granted to ensure any drug with an FDA-approved or EUA-authorized indication for the treatment of COVID-19 be made available as a preferred drug through the duration of the Federal PHE.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.