Nevada
The state joined Washington and Oregon in offering the ArrayRx card, a state-backed discount card program.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
New Mexico
The Immunization Coalition and Department of Health Immunization Program have put together a brief survey to gauge how provider offices handle vaccines for their adult patients.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
New York
As referenced in the 1% Across the Board (ATB) Medicaid Rate Increase, the New York State Department of Health revised the Medicaid Fee-for-Service (FFS) pharmacy professional dispensing fee to comply with this change. Effective September 22, 2022, the professional dispensing fee will change from $10.08 to $10.18 for covered outpatient drugs, when applicable. This was based on the enacted budget and was effectuated by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) state plan approval. This does include retroactive adjustments to the dispensing fee back to April 1, 2022. Those adjustments will be processed at a future date, details will be forthcoming.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Mike Sargent at 207-272-6435.
North Carolina
Please find here a notice from North Carolina Medicaid to permanently transition to a specific dispensing fee for North Carolina Medicaid based on the Cost-of-Dispensing Study performed every five years. This fee is currently $10.24. Also, included in this notice is North Carolina Medicaid's decision to allow for more than one dispensing fee per month.
Also in North Carolina, see the Medicaid Special Pharmacy Newsletter providing Revised Procedures for Prior Authorization of palivizumab (Synagis®) for Respiratory Syncytial Virus Season 2022/2023 – Coverage starts Oct. 1, 2022.
Finally, effective with date of service Aug. 31, 2022, the NC Medicaid and NC Health Choice programs cover Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent (Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5) – 12 years of age and older (N/A) for use in the Physician Administered Drug Program (PADP) when billed with HCPCS code 91312 – Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine, mRNA-LNP, bivalent spike protein, preservative free, 30 mcg/0.3 mL dosage, tris-sucrose formulation, for intramuscular use.
Effective with date of service Aug. 31, 2022, the NC Medicaid and NC Health Choice programs cover Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent (Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5) – Booster Dose (N/A) for use in the Physician Administered Drug Program (PADP) when billed with HCPCS code 91313 – Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) vaccine, mRNA-LNP, spike protein, bivalent, preservative free, 50 mcg/0.5 mL dosage, for intramuscular use. More information.
Providers are encouraged to review this information. All bulletin articles, including those related to COVID-19, are available on DHB's Medicaid Bulletin webpage.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
Oklahoma
Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) appointed pharmacists Randy Curry D.Ph., and Shonda Lassiter, D.Ph, to the Board of Pharmacy.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Oregon
The Board of Pharmacy posted the agenda and meeting materials for its October 12-14 meeting.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
Rhode Island
Please find the October 2022 provider update here.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
Texas
The Board of Pharmacy has moved to the George H. W. Bush State Office Building. Their new mailing address is Texas State Board of Pharmacy, 1801 Congress Avenue, Suite 13.100, Austin, TX 78701. All telephone numbers, emails and faxes remain the same.
In advance of the October 3 Texas House Select Committee on Health Care Reform, NACDS submitted a statement recommending allowing pharmacists to permanently order and administer CDC/ACIP -recommended vaccines for ages 3 and older; permitting certified pharmacy technicians to also administer vaccinations to the same age group; and initiate corresponding treatment pursuant to the result of CLIA-waived tests.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Washington
The Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission (PQAC) is conducting an accessible labeling capability assessment survey to assess current pharmacy practices around providing accessible labeling options to patients, including whether such options are already made available, and what technological, financial, or resource-based obstacles prevent such options from being offered. PQAC filed a rulemaking inquiry (CR-101) to consider new and amended rules related to prescription label accessibility standards on issues pertaining to both visual/print disability access and the translation of prescription drug information for individuals for whom English is not a primary language.
Also in Washington, the Health Care Authority (HCA) is publishing quarterly updates to many of the Apple Health billing guides effective October 1, 2022.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.