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So far Michael Silber has created 1944 blog entries.

North Carolina

The North Carolina COVID-19 state of emergency sunsets on August 15, 2022. For more information on how it affects pharmacy practice please click here. 

Also in North Carolina, pharmacy claims processing under Behavioral Health and Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DDs) Tailored Plans. Pharmacy Point of Sale (POS) claims for members enrolled in Tailored Plans will be temporarily managed by NCTracks when the plans launch on Dec. 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023. Beginning on April 1, 2023, these claims will be managed by the Tailored Plans. This change was made due to a key Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) unexpectedly leaving the NC Medicaid market in late 2021, which required some Tailored Plans to procure another PBM. 

There will be no impact to members’ pharmacy benefits during this transition period. From Dec. 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023, member ID cards will not include pharmacy information. A new card will be issued for April 1, 2023, indicating the new RxBin and PCN numbers for the Tailored Plans. 

NC Medicaid will reach out to members, pharmacists, and providers in the coming months with additional information about this transition. For more information, please see the Medicaid bulletin Pharmacy Point of Sale Process at Tailored Plan Launch.  

Finally, please see August 2022 NC Medicaid Pharmacy Newsletter which contains information on the below.  

  •  NC Medicaid Pharmacy Point-of-Sale Billing for Pharmacist-Prescribed Paxlovid 
  • October 2022 Drug Use Review (DUR) Board Meeting 
  • Reminder Regarding the Naloxone Standing Order  
  • Pharmacy Point of Sale Process at Tailored Plan Launch   

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

2022-08-19T10:35:41-04:00August 19, 2022|North Carolina|

Ohio

Below are added items posted on the Board of Pharmacy’s website:  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

2022-08-19T10:34:51-04:00August 19, 2022|Ohio|

Oregon

The Oregon Health Authority’s Immunization Policy Advisory Team (IPACT) will meet September 1 via Zoom. To register in advance for this meeting, use this link.  

Also in Oregon, the Oregon Health Authority released its 2021 Coordinated Care Organization (COO) Metrics Report. Although statewide performance showed improvement on most of the 14 incentive measures, the exceptions were two immunization measures related to youth immunizations which were down 7.7% for adolescents and 8.3% for immunizations received by the child’s second birthday. These continue to be affected by the disruptions in preventive care that occurred during the pandemic. 

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

2022-08-19T10:34:06-04:00August 19, 2022|Oregon|

Texas

The Board of Pharmacy adopted the pharmacy counseling waiver and non-sterile compound rules at the August 2nd meeting. A summary of all the rules adopted is available here. 

Also in Texas, the Board of Pharmacy created an infographic clarifying for pharmacists the requirement to check a patient’s controlled substance history in the Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) before dispensing opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or carisoprodol. The Board inspectors have found that some integrated pharmacy management systems require that the pharmacist manually initiate a report request by clicking to “View/Show Report” and access the full controlled substance history report for the patient to comply with the mandated PMP lookup requirement. However, if your integrated pharmacy management system loads both the patient score and the full patient report, the pharmacist does not need to load the report separately to be compliant with the mandate. 

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

2022-08-19T10:49:41-04:00August 19, 2022|Texas|

Alabama

All previously published expiration dates related to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) are being extended by the Alabama Medicaid Agency (Medicaid). The new expiration date is the earlier of August 31, 2022, the conclusion of the COVID-19 national emergency, or any expiration date noticed by the Alabama Medicaid Agency through a subsequent ALERT.  

Medicaid is preparing now for the end of the COVID-19 PHE. Medicaid partners can assist in relaying a consistent and simple message to the Medicaid recipients by sharing key messages from the Agency in your newsletters, social media posts, and other means of communication. To learn more about the “Yellow Postcard” campaign and the Communication Toolkit, please click here.  

Also in Alabama, registration is open for the APhA Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery Certificate Training Program hosted by Alabama Pharmacy Association (APA). The program is scheduled for Saturday, August 13, from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the APA office in Montgomery. The program is an innovative, intensive, and practice-based CPE activity, based on national educational standards for immunization training from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). For more information and to register for the full certification course 

Additionally, if it has been longer than three years since you were certified and you want a refresher course or if you need to satisfy the PREP Act’s 2-hour immunization CPE requirement, APA is offering six hours of continuing education in conjunction with the APhA program (minus the shots), which will include the most current immunization recommendations and guidelines. Also, the program has been approved by the Alabama Board of Pharmacy for six hours of consultant credit. For more information and to register for the refresher 

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

2022-07-22T11:47:37-04:00July 22, 2022|Alabama|

Alaska

Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) signed into law HB (House Bill) 145 which recognizes pharmacists as prescribers and mandates payment parity reimbursement for pharmacy services. The bill also broadens collaborative practice agreements, allows pharmacists to independently prescribe and dispense vaccines, and allows pharmacy technicians to administer vaccines and emergency medications. It will go into effect on September 28, 2022.

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

2022-07-22T11:47:09-04:00July 22, 2022|Alaska|

Arizona

The Notice of Final Rulemaking related to Pharmacist Delegation/Technicians was published in the “Arizona Administrative Register” with an effective date of July 2, 2022.  See PDF pages 994-998.

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

2022-07-22T11:46:00-04:00July 22, 2022|Arizona|

California

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) posted the July 2022 Durable Medical Equipment and Medical Supplies Bulletin 562 including the following updates: 

  • Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Dose Authorized for Individuals 5 to 11 Years of Age 
  • 2022 COVID-19 Vaccine Administration FAQs Available 
  • 2022 HCPCS Quarter 3 Update 
  • Tax Status Change for Select HCPCS Codes
  • Guidance for Respiratory DME Codes E0482 and E0483 Updated 
  • September Virtual Claims Assistance Room Event  

In addition, the Part 1 – Program and Eligibility bulletin was posted to the Medi-Cal website. 

Also in California, the DHCS posted the July 2022 Pharmacy Bulletin 1019 on the Medi-Cal website with content similar to the bulletin above with the addition of O&P Services Recategorized as Surgery Supplies.  

Also in California, the DHCS posted “Paper RADs [Remittance Advice Details] AND No Pay Documents Will No Longer Be Mailed Due to Supply Chain Issues.” Effective, July 18, 2022, RAD (Remittance Advice Details), EFT [Electronic Funds Transfer] and No Pay documents will only be available electronically. There is no impact on paper warrants or direct deposit payments. Additionally, the Medi-Cal Checkwrite Schedule will remain unchanged. Additionally, providers will be able to access them online PDF RADs and HIPAA 835 files as published. Providers who have not yet transitioned to the PDF RADs are encouraged to do so.  

Also in California, the Department of Health Care Services posted the following alerts on the Medi-Cal Rx Web Portal.  

Finally in California, the Board of Pharmacy posted its meeting agenda and meeting materials for the July 27-28 Full Board Meeting. 

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

2022-07-22T11:44:41-04:00July 22, 2022|California|

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