The Health and Human Services Committee is scheduled to hear LB 1065, NACDS-introduced legislation to expand technician duties, on February 27, at 1:30 pm in Lincoln. NACDS is seeking pharmacists and technicians to testify in support of the bill, especially those living in the 33rd District of bill sponsor Senator Steve Halloran.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
With less than a week remaining in the 30-day legislative session, NACDS has sent an RxIMPACT Action Alert to members encouraging them to contact their state senator urging passage of HB 42, Rep. Deborah Armstrong’s payment parity bill that creates the opportunity for more community pharmacies to improve patient access to care. NACDS joined the National Community Pharmacists Association, American Pharmacists Association, National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, and American Society of Health System Pharmacists in a letter of support to legislative leadership. The University of New Mexico College of Pharmacy and students have been activity engaged at the Capitol. They created and excellent video in support of HB 42, the payment parity bill.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
NACDS met with a dozen key state legislators this week to urge their support for the expansion of pharmacist authority to administer immunizations.
Also in New York... NACDS joined the New York pharmacy sector in discussions with the New York State Department of Health on Governor Cuomo's budget proposal which would slash $2 billion from Medicaid. The Budget must be approved by April 1.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Mike Sargent at 207-272-6435.
A bill that would preempt municipalities from establishing separate Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMP) has been signed by Gov. Tom Wolf (D). SB 432, began as a bill increasing access to the state PDMP, was amended by Rep. Seth Grove (R), due to members’ concern about the City of Philadelphia passing a law in December requiring pharmacies to report to a new city based PDMP. Now enacted, it will preempt Philadelphia from implementing their PDMP statute. NACDS thanks the Pennsylvania Association of Chain Drug Stores efforts on the ground to address the issue.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
This week NACDS submitted a memo in support of HB 7073 which allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense hormonal contraceptive patches and self-administered oral hormonal contraceptives.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Mike Sargent at 207-272-6435.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) is beginning 2020 provider revalidation. In the bulletin dated April 20, 2015, providers were informed their enrollment information must be revalidated, per the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). To avoid risk of termination in the Healthy Connections Medicaid program, impacted providers must complete and submit an enrollment application 30 days from the date of their official revalidation notification letter. Providers should NOT begin the revalidation process until they receive notification. The notification contains pertinent information needed to start and complete the revalidation process.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
NACDS provided analysis to members and in-state partners on HB.2688, which would require that health plans, pharmacy benefits managers, and pharmacies will make available a patient’s specific prescription cost and benefit information in real-time for usage in a healthcare provider’s prescribing or electronic health record system at the point of prescribing and at the point of dispensing.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Mid-way through the 2020 Legislative Session there are a number of pharmacy-related bills still making their way through the process: House Bill 2251 extends the reporting requirement when dispensing biosimilars to 2025; Substitute House Bill 2438 imposes a 1 cent per MME on manufacturers if more than 100,000 MME’s are dispensed within a quarter; 2nd Substitute Senate Bill 5601 address health care benefit managers including PBM’s; Substitute Senate Bill 6086 addresses pharmacy remote dispensing; 2nd Substitute Senate Bill 6087 limits co-payments and cost-sharing to patients on insulin to $100 per month; and Substitute Senate Bill 6113 creates a central insulin purchasing program which includes among others an independent and a chain pharmacist on the work group.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
