Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed into law SB 340 pertaining to telepharmacy effective April 26, 2020.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
New Mexico
Pharmacy Day at the Capitol was Monday, January 27.
Also in New Mexico... NACDS co-signed a letter to Gov. Michelle Grisham Lujan (D) in support HB 42, the bill requiring payment for any pharmacy patient services sponsored by Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee, Rep. Deborah Armstrong. Other national organizations cosigning the letter were the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Association (NASPA). The bill was reported favorably from the House Health and Human Services Committee on January 27th by a 5-2 vote, and was referred to the House State Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee for further consideration. NACDS members are encouraged to contact their legislators urging support of the bill. Time is short as the legislature is scheduled to adjourn on February 20.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
New York
In advance of public hearings this week, NACDS submitted a Memo of Support for the provisions in New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s (D) 2020-2021 budget proposal to expand pharmacist immunization authority to include the administration of all vaccines, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, to patients 18 years of age and older and to make the law permanent by removing the current sunset provision.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Mike Sargent at 207-272-6435.
Texas
The Vendor Drug Program announced that they will implement the Rinvoq (upadacitinib) clinical prior authorization criteria on March 3. The prior authorization is optional for Medicaid managed care. The Pharmacy Clinical Prior Authorization Assistance Chart shows the prior authorization each MCO uses and how those authorizations relate to the authorizations used for traditional Medicaid claim processing and is updated quarterly.
Also in Texas... The deadline to participate in program year 2019 of the Texas Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive/Promoting Interoperability Program is Feb. 29. To learn more, visit the EHR website.
Also in Texas... The Health and Human Service Commission published the quarterly Specialty Drug List.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
California
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) appointed Jacey Cooper to serve as the state Medicaid Director and Chief Deputy Director of Health Care Programs at the Department of Health Care Services. Cooper has been Assistant Deputy Director of Health Care Delivery Systems at the Department of Health Care Services since 2016.
Also in California... Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law several bills adding or amending laws that govern the practice of pharmacy in California. Unless specified otherwise, the new laws took effect on January 1, 2020. Many of the key provisions are summarized below.
- AB 528 Controlled Substances: CURES Database Effective January 1, 2021, this law expands the CURES reporting requirements to include Schedule V drugs and reduces the reporting deadline to one working day from the date the prescription was released to the patient.
- AB 690 Pharmacies: Relocation: Remote Dispensing Site Pharmacy: Pharmacy Technician: Qualifications. Effective upon signing by the Governor, this law creates a limited exemption to the licensure transferability requirements for a pharmacy to relocate because of damage caused by a declared disaster. The law also establishes specific requirements for a pharmacy technician working in a remote dispensing site pharmacy.
- AB 973 Pharmacies: Compounding. This law requires that compounding of drug preparations by a pharmacy must be done consistent with the relevant compounding chapters of the United States Pharmacopeia-National Formulary (USP). The board recently released a policy statement regarding California legal requirements for compounding pharmacies pending information from USP regarding implementation of chapters 795, 797, and 800. The policy statement is available on the board's website.
- AB 1723 Clinics: Purchasing Drugs at Wholesale. This law increases the maximum hours of operation for a primary care community clinic or free clinic from 20 hours to 40 hours per week.
- SB 159 HIV Preexposure and Postexposure Prophylaxis. This comprehensive law authorizes pharmacists to independently initiate and furnish HIV preexposure and postexposure prophylaxis under specific conditions. Key provisions also require the Board of Pharmacy, in consultation with the Medical Board of California (MBC), to approve training programs that pharmacists must complete before furnishing either preexposure or postexposure prophylaxis. In addition, the law specifies guidelines issued by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that the Board of Pharmacy must use to establish the drug or drug combinations to be furnished:
- For HIV preexposure prophylaxis: "2017 Preexposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection in the United States – 2017 Update: A Clinical Practice Guideline," or any subsequent guidelines published by the CDC.
- For HIV postexposure prophylaxis: "Updated Guidelines for Antiretroviral Postexposure Prophylaxis After Sexual, Injection Drug Use, or Other Nonoccupational Exposure to HIV–United States, 2016," or any subsequent guidelines published by the CDC.
The law also requires the Board of Pharmacy to consult with the medical Board in developing emergency regulations to be adopted by July 1, 2020, to implement the law. The board's Licensing Committee held a meeting in early January with stakeholders regarding implementation of SB 159, and the committee will report its recommendations at the January 29-30 board meeting in Glendale.
- SB 569 Controlled Substances: Prescriptions: Declared Local, State, or Federal Emergency. This law authorizes a pharmacist to fill a prescription for a controlled substance that does not conform to the controlled substances security form requirements under specific conditions.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
New Mexico
Pharmacy Day at the Capitol is Monday, January 27.
Also in New Mexico... NACDS co-signed a letter to Gov. Michelle Grisham Lujan (D) in support HB 42, the bill requiring payment for any pharmacy patient services sponsored by Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee, Rep. Deborah Armstrong. Other national organizations cosigning the letter were the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Association (NASPA).
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
California
In advance of the Board of Pharmacy's Licensing Committee meeting January 9th, NACDS submitted a comment letter providing suggestions for a training program for pharmacist furnishing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
Also in California… legislative session convened on January 6th.
Also in California... Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) budget released last week proposes $107.4 billion in total funds for Department of Health Care Services programs and other spending. It includes significant funding for the Medi-Cal Healthier California for All initiative (formerly known as CalAIM); funding to support quality improvements in county-operated behavioral health systems; expanded Medi-Cal coverage for adults age 65 and older, regardless of their documentation status; and funding for efforts to control costs and create incentives for better quality care. For more details, please refer to the links posted on the DHCS website.
Also in California... The Department of Health Care Services is renaming its multi-year reform initiative aimed at improving the health outcomes and quality of life for California's population in Medi-Cal. Effective immediately, the broad-based effort to transform the Medi-Cal delivery system, program and payment structure will be known as Medi-Cal Healthier California for All.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Colorado
HB19-1216 limits the cost sharing of insulin for commercial pay patients to $100 for a 30 days' supply, effective January1, 2020. The Department of Regulatory Agencies Division of Insurance issued emergency rules to address implementation. https://gallery.mailchimp.com/6431ea4066ae863439c487bd4/files/bd896d11-f54b-4f15-b31d-fd2c3ccad71d/Emergency_Regulation_19_E_08_Concerning_Prescription_Insulin_Drug_Cost_Sharing_and_Limitations.pdf
Also in Colorado… General Assembly convened on January 8th.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Florida
Florida House Bill 389 Testing for and Treatment of Influenza and Streptococcus was heard on January 15th in the House Health Care Appropriation Subcommittee. The bill passed favorably with a vote of 10-1. The next stop is the House Health and Human Services.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.