Medicaid has announced that they have resumed the pre-COVID 19 process for early refill requests in both the fee-for-service and managed care process, effective for dates of service on or after June 1st.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Gov. Andy Beshear has signed an executive order that extends previous orders allowing pharmacists to dispense 30-day refills. This order will be in effect until July 7, 2020.
Also in Kentucky... The Department of Medicaid awarded contracts to Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, Humana Health Plan and Wellcare Health Insurance of Kentucky, United Healthcare and Molina Health Care. The latter two companies are new to the program. The new contracts will be effective in Jan. 2021.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Medicaid has published an Advisory with updated NDC codes for pharmacies to bill for COVID-19 testing specimen collection.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Notice of the Board of Pharmacy announces a statewide standing order to authorize dispensing and administration of naloxone by pharmacists licensed to practice in the state. The order is effective May 18, 2020 and expires May 18, 2021.
Also in Mississippi... Proposed rule of the Division of Medicaid would amend regulations under Title 23, Part 214, Chapter 1, Rules 1.12 to add standards that remove the beneficiary signature requirement for prescription drug delivery during a national or statewide emergency. The rule also would add to the list of facilities exempted from certain beneficiary signature requirements. No hearing is not scheduled on this rule. Comments are due June 27, 2020.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
The Missouri Board of Pharmacy published an update outlining which COVID-19 related waivers from Executive Order 20-04 would expire on June 15, 2020 and which waivers are extended until September 1, 2020. Waivers to expire June 15th include practice by out of state pharmacists and technicians, albuterol substitution, emergency dispensing, and dispensing verified medication by technicians and pharmacy interns when the pharmacist is not physically present in the pharmacy.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
The legislators will return to Santa Fe on June 18, 2020 for a special session on the budget deficit caused by plummeting oil and gas prices, combined with lower gross receipts taxes because of the COVID restrictions. While the Roundhouse will be closed to the public, all committee hearings and floor sessions will be webcast. Any employees and media entering the building will be required to undergo a COVID-19 test; however, legislators will not be required but will be highly encouraged to do so too. All employees will also be required to undergo a COVID-19 test before the start of the special session to enter the Roundhouse. Legislators will not be required to undergo a test, but will be highly encouraged to do so.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
The Board of Pharmacy released a notice this week regarding fraudulent verbal and paper prescriptions for promethazine/codeine
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Notice of the Insurance Department announces LH Bulletin 2020-03 to advise health insurers and health maintenance organizations on coverage of COVID-19 antibody testing. The department provides information on CPT codes for such tests and expects insurers to cover costs associated with FDA-approved antibody tests.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
NACDS, the Texas Federation of Drug Stores, and H-E-B pharmacists Doug Read and Jay Bueche, met with New Braunfels Sen. Donna Campbell, an emergency room physician. During the Zoom meeting, we promoted our scope regulatory and legislative agenda, including expanding technician duties and eliminating arbitrary ratios, expanding access to immunizations without a prescription. We also asked the Senator to urge Gov. Greg Abbott to allow pharmacists to test now for COVID and treat later when the vaccines become available.
Also in Texas... Continuing to advocate for the removal of the remaining barrier to pharmacist COVID-19 testing, NACDS, the Texas Federation of Drug Stores, and other Texas pharmacy organizations with the help of the Executive Director of the Board of Pharmacy (BOP) Allison Benz and the Board president, Julie Spier with Albertsons, finally convinced Gov. Greg Abbott to acknowledge that the federal HHS April 8th guidance document and May 19th advisory opinion clearly authorize pharmacist ordering and administration of COVID-19 testing without any physician involvement. Texas BOP FAQ‘s that provide official guidance on pharmacist testing have been updated to that effect.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.