Erica Joyner – Page 11 – In The States

Oregon

The Board of Pharmacy announced the December 13-15 Board meeting agenda and meeting materials are now available. Please note the consideration of rules for adoption related to vaccines pursuant to the enactment of HB 2486 and HB 2278 this year.

Also in Oregon, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board posted a draft agenda for the December 13 meeting. Board calendar and materials from past meetings are also available online.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

Erica Joyner2023-12-08T09:52:41-05:00December 8, 2023|Oregon|

Tennessee

On December 5, Belmont University will host a free, live webinar providing a one-hour Board of Pharmacy update from 6:30-7:30 pm CT. All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Tennessee are welcome to register.

Also in Tennessee, TennCare recently released a notice regarding changes to the TennCare pharmacy program, specifically to the morphine milligram equivalent (MME), which will become effective January 1, 2024.

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

Erica Joyner2023-12-08T09:51:23-05:00December 8, 2023|Tennessee|

Texas

United Supermarkets’ pharmacist Tim Purser and his wife Charity who is standing next to Gov. Gregg Abbott (R), accompanied NACDS to a Lubbock fundraiser for the Chair of the House Calendars Committee, Dustin Burrows (R).

Also in Texas, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar (R) announced the Opioid Abatement Fund Council (OAFC) decisions to approve up to $25 million over the next year of opioid settlement trust funds to be allocated for each grant plan strategy – the distribute Naloxone, the promotion of substance abuse and prevention by raising awareness of students in grades kindergarten through 12^th , as well as their parents and caregivers, and bolstering training, recruitment and retention, and certification assistance for the behavioral health workforce. The OAFC had previously approved rules for distribution of $166.7 million of the funds to more than 150 hospital districts over 18 years. Additionally, last March $47.1 million of the Opioid Abatement funds was distributed to political subdivisions.

Also in Texas, the Board of Pharmacy adopted and proposed several new rules at their November meeting.

Also in Texas, the PMP Advisory Committee meeting will be meeting virtually December 14^th.

Finally in Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is suing Pfizer for “misrepresenting COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and conspiring to censor public discourse, arguing that Pfizer’s claim that the COVID-19 vaccine was 95% effective against infection was “highly misleading.” The lawsuit also charges that Pfizer engaged in a conspiracy to silence dissent by coordinating with social media companies to remove “truth-tellers” from their platforms.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

Erica Joyner2023-12-08T09:45:17-05:00December 8, 2023|Texas|

Washington

The Department of Health’s Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission (PQAC) filed a rulemaking inquiry to consider possible amending language on prescription transfers requested by the patient.

Also in Washington, the Health Care Authority (HCA) published a new Medicaid program integrity training for providers which includes pharmacy, COVID-related issues and general program integrity overview and activities. The information provided in this educational intervention is not intended to be a comprehensive detailed account of all legal requirements relevant to compliance with Medicaid program integrity laws and regulations and satisfies the law requiring annual training in RCW 74.09.195.

Also in Washington, the HCA updated the Prescription Drug Program Billing Guide, effective for dates of service on and after December 1, 2023. Revisions include added vaccines that can be billed through the point-of-sale pharmacy system, updated pharmacy billing information for vaccines and vaccine administration, and updated professional dispensing fee allowances for pharmacies to align with recently filed emergency rules.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

Erica Joyner2023-12-08T09:43:44-05:00December 8, 2023|Washington|

Alaska

Effective July 15, 2023, there is no longer a requirement for facilities or pharmacies to submit an application for changes to ownership, location or names.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

Erica Joyner2023-10-06T10:11:51-04:00October 6, 2023|Alaska|

Arizona

The Board of Pharmacy’s final rule to permanently authorize pharmacy technicians to administer vaccines under the delegation and supervision of a pharmacist was published in the Arizona Administrative Register, Volume 29, Issue 38 (see pages 2191-2195) with an effective date of September 6, 2023.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

Erica Joyner2023-10-06T10:11:04-04:00October 6, 2023|Arizona|

California

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) posted the following alerts and monthly bulleting on the Medi-Cal Rx Web Portal:

Diabetic Supplies: Updates to the Quantity and Fill Limitations for Diabetic Testing Supplies (October 5)
Updates to Enteral Nutrition Prescription Requirements (October 4)
90-Day Countdown: Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan Transition (October 3)
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccines Arexvy^TM and Abrysvo^TM Now on the Contract Drugs List (October 3)
How to Resolve Reject Code 76 – Plan Limitations Exceeded (October 2)
COVID-19 Antigen Over-the-Counter Test Coverage Updates, Effective November 1, 2023 (October 1)
Medical Supplies: Future Changes to Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems Coverage Criteria and Prior Authorization Bundling (October 1)
Diabetic Supplies: Updates to the Dexcom G7® Continuous Glucose Monitoring Sensor Package Size Description, Effective October 1, 2023 (October 1)
Medi-Cal Rx Monthly Bulletin for October (October 1)
Changes to the Medi-Cal Rx Contract Drugs List (October 1)
Changes to Medi-Cal Rx Contract Drugs List – Authorized Drug Manufacturer Labeler Codes (October 1)
Changes to Medi-Cal Rx Pharmacy Reimbursable Physician Administered Drugs (October 1)
Updates to the Medi-Cal Rx Provider Manual (October 1)
Medi-Cal Rx Weekly Wrap-up for September 22-28 (September 29)
Reinstatement Spotlight (September 29)
Update: Reimbursement for New Commercial COVID-19 Vaccines (September 22).

Also in California, NACDS submitted a letter of support to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) urging him to sign AB 1341. The governor subsequently signed AB 1341 (Chapter 276, Statutes of 2023) on September 30. The newly bill enacted permits pharmacists to provide COVID-19 medication as well as offer broader options of substance use disorder treatments as specified in the bill.

Also in California, NACDS submitted a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) urging him to veto AB 1286, legislation that would impose arbitrary staffing limits and impede pharmacies’ ability to optimize the use of pharmacy technicians to assist with technical duties that do not require a pharmacist’s professional judgement.

Finally in California, NACDS submitted a letter of support to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) urging him to sign AB 317, legislation helping to support patient access to essential healthcare services provided by pharmacists by requiring healthcare service plans that cover care that is otherwise within pharmacists’ scope of practice to reimbursement pharmacy providers for delivering those services.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

Erica Joyner2023-10-06T10:10:26-04:00October 6, 2023|California|

Connecticut

The Department of Consumer Protection urges pharmacists to continue to offer to prescribe naloxone for patients, when appropriate. This includes when filling prescriptions for:

Medications within the opioid class of drugs;
Patients with a history of opioid use disorder;
Family members and friends of individuals with a history of opioid use disorder and
Upon request by a patient.

As some insurance providers, including Medicaid, may continue to cover Narcan and ReVive, pharmacists should continue to submit claims when dispensing naloxone prescribed by a pharmacist or other authorized prescriber. Patients whose insurance providers do not cover these medications should contact their insurance provider for more information. Additional information can be found on the Drug Control Division website.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

Erica Joyner2023-10-06T10:07:55-04:00October 6, 2023|Connecticut|

Florida

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and members of the Florida Cabinet approved rules to implement several provisions of the Prescription Drug Reform Act (SB 1550). The rules increase accountability among pharmaceutical middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). As signed by the Governor earlier this year, SB 1550 institutes the most comprehensive reforms to Florida’s prescription drug market in state history. Additional information on the bill can be found here.

Also in Florida, the Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency), along with its fiscal agent, Gainwell Technologies, is introducing enhancements implemented as part of the new NPI initiative. A new Taxonomy Master List (TML) Tip Sheet, an updated Provider Master List (PML) Tip Sheet and an updated Pending Provider List (PPL) Tip Sheet is now available. The updated PML and PPL test examples are now available. The release of the updated PML and PPL changes will occur on October 26, 2023. After the release, a copy of the former version of the PML and PPL will remain archived on the Registration page of the Managed Care section of the Florida Medicaid Public Web Portal for reference. The release of the updated TML changes occurred on September 28, 2023. The release will replace the current version of the TML on the Florida Medicaid Public Web Portal. To access a copy of the new TML Tip Sheet and the updated PML and PPL Tip Sheets, please visit the Florida Medicaid Public Web Portal at mymedicaid-florida.com, navigate to the Agency Initiatives tab, and select NPI Initiative.

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

Erica Joyner2023-10-06T10:06:20-04:00October 6, 2023|Florida|

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