Ohio
The Board of Pharmacy has issued guidance on both pharmacists’ administration of the COVID-19 vaccine and childhood vaccines during the pandemic.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Tennessee
According to state law, a pharmacist providing immunizations or CLIA-waived testing services, or a pharmacy technician or other health care professional assisting with these services, must have live OSHA training on bloodborne pathogens every year or face fines. The Tennessee Pharmacists Research and Education Foundation (TPREF) is offering a webinar that meets the OSHA’s training requirements, including the live component. This webinar will provide attendees with one (1.0) contact hour of live ACPE Continuing Education. Please contact Lucy Adkins lucy@tnpharm.org for more information or click here.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
Virginia
The 2nd pharmacy protocol workgroup met this week to consider the third enactment clause of HB 1506 of 2020. The charge of this workgroup is to recommend further protocols to the General Assembly for legislative consideration in the 2021 session. Both NACDS and VACDS were represented on the workgroup and provided public comments before the meeting. Please see the agenda for background and details. The workgroup voted to recommend the following protocols:
- Immunizations – all CDC-recommended vaccines for adults
- Tobacco Cessation and treatment
- TB testing
- Flu test and treat
- UTI Test and Treat
- Strep Test and Treat
- HIV Prep and Pep –
- The workgroup also agreed to adopt language recommending that pharmacists be authorized to dispense certain devices – i.e. diabetic supplies
Also in Virginia. The Board of Pharmacy has adopted an emergency regulation based on the requirements for pharmacists to order and administer childhood vaccines under the PREP Act. Effective September 22, any pharmacist who administers an immunization or directs a pharmacy intern to administer an immunization under his supervision to a person aged three through eighteen years in accordance with the United States Health and Human Services declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act during the COVID-19 public health emergency shall report such immunization to and provide all information required by the Virginia Immunization Information System.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Alabama
The Alabama Medicaid Agency has issued a proposed rule that would amend regulations under AAC 560-X-16 to remove provisions that require the clinical pharmacist committee to consist of at least a long-term care pharmacist and an independent pharmacist. The rule also would allow correspondence to be directed to Medicaid’s authorized representative. Comments to the proposed rule are due October 5, 2020.
Also in Alabama, that Medicaid Agency has issued a proposed rule that would amend regulations under AAC 560-X-16 to change the current default pharmacy ingredient cost reimbursement methodology when no average acquisition cost is available from wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) +0% to WAC -4% for brand drugs and WAC +0% for generic drugs, effective January 1, 2021. Comments to the proposed rule are due October 5, 2020.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
California
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced that on October 1, 2020, Magellan Health, the pharmacy claims administrator for Med-Cal will begin quarterly surveys of approximately 600 pharmacies so that they can establish a Maximum Allowable Ingredient Cost (MAIC) for multisource generic drugs. According to the announcement, pharmacies must submit certain invoice information to CAMAICsurvey@mercer.com. The new MAICs will be published in pharmacy provider bulletins 30 days before the effective date of January 1, 2021. More information can be found here.
Also in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) appointed Jason Weisz of San Diego to a 4-year term as a public member to the 13-person Board of Pharmacy.
Also in California. The Department of Public Health Immunization Branch in partnership with the state Immunization Coalition is conducting a survey of Independent Pharmacies to learn about plans for influenza vaccination services this flu season during the COVID-19 pandemic. NACDS is helping develop a different survey for chain pharmacies that will be distributed soon.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Mississippi
The Division of Medicaid has issued a proposed rule that would amend regulations under Title 23, Part 214, Chapter 2, to update the participation and enrollment requirement for pharmacists providing disease management services. Comments on the proposed rule are due September 28, 2020.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
Nevada
Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) signed the Board of Pharmacy’s emergency rule authorizing trained pharmacy technicians to administer immunizations under the direct supervision of a pharmacist in response to the COVID pandemic. Efforts are also underway to ensure the quick adoption of a permanent rule approved by the Board.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Oklahoma
The Health Authority promulgated three new rules, all effective on September 14.
- Final rule requiring the Drug Utilization Review (DUR) program comply with federal standards to monitor opioid prescribing and dispensing patterns, adding an automated claims review process to monitor concurrent use of opioids with benzodiazepines and/or antipsychotics, a program to monitor the use of antipsychotics by members aged 18 and younger, and a process to identify potential fraud and abuse of controlled substances.
- Final rule revising step therapy protocols for medications approved by the Drug Utilization Review Board and establish exceptions for such protocols, and establishing an appeals process for step therapy exception requests which have been denied.
- Final rule removing prescription limits for certain frequently monitored prescription and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) drugs for opioid use disorder. The rule also removes co-payments for MAT drugs, revises prescription quantity limits for products on the maintenance drug list and allows certain products to be dispensed in quantities up to a 90-day supply.
Also in Oklahoma. The Board of Pharmacy adopted two new rules effective September 11.
- Final rule correcting a statutory citation regarding requirements for pharmacists prescribing naloxone.
- Final rule updating standards for pharmacy operations, including prohibiting pharmacists from serving as a pharmacist-in-charge at more than one pharmacy at a time, adding refrigerator and freezer temperature requirements, and clarifying requirements for shipments of pharmaceuticals.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Pennsylvania
The Board of Pharmacy posted a notice extending the licensure renewal period to December 29, 2020, to allow pharmacists additional time to complete continuing education and renew their pharmacist license and authorization to administer injectables. The notice and additional information can be found here.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.