Republicans returned to the polls on Tuesday for a runoff election between Attorney General Gentner Drummond, pharmacy’s champion on PBM reforms, and former State Sen. Mike Mazzei, to replace term-limited Gov. Kevin Stitt (R). Mazzei defeated Drummond in a close race, winning by about 2000 votes, with a margin of 0.6%.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
The Oregon Health Authority released a statement that the West Coast Health Alliance continues to endorse the American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended child, adolescent immunization schedules.
Also in Oregon, the Oregon Health Authority's Immunization Policy Advisory Team will meet on September 3. The Oregon Immunization Program works to reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable disease in Oregon. Staff members identify and promote evidence-informed public health best practices to both the public and health care professionals throughout the state.
What: Meeting of Oregon's Immunization Policy Advisory Team (IPAT)
When: Thursday, Sept. 3, noon-2 p.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom – register HERE (required). Registrants will receive a confirmation email with additional information that they will need to join the meeting.
Draft agenda items include:
Final agenda will be available at the meeting or via email request three days before the meeting date by contacting imm.info@odhsoha.oregon.gov.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
During the August 13 TennCare Pharmacy Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting, TennCare announced a transition from OptumRx to Prime Therapeutics as the pharmacy benefits administrator of the program. The transition will begin in October 2026 with an anticipated go-live date of October 1, 2027.
Also in Tennessee, congratulations to Walgreens pharmacist Katie Cox, PharmD (Knoxville, TN) on her appointment to the Board of Pharmacy for a seven-year term through July 2033. Dr. Cox replaces Dr. Shanea McKinney, whose term ended at the end of July.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
Effective August 24, the Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) transitioned the Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Portal, along with several online portal applications, to the TMHP IAMOnline platform as the new entry point for accessing applications on the TMHP webpage. The training materials are now available on the TMHP Learning Management System (LMS).
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
The Board of Pharmacy posted guidance regarding pharmacy immunization authority for the 2026-2027 vaccine season, clarifying that a protocol is not needed for flu and COVID vaccines.
Also in Virginia, the Board of Pharmacy posted the agenda for a Statewide Protocols Work Group Meeting scheduled for August 28 at 1:0 pm. The meeting is a result of the Board's recommendation that the protocols be reviewed annually and updated, if needed. Any recommended updates will require approval by the full Board at their next meeting.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
The Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission (PQAC) filed a CR-101 Rulemaking Inquiry package under WSR 26-18-021 to consider amending WAC 246-945-203 through 246-945-220. It also proposed adopting new sections in chapter 246-945 WAC to potentially expand pathways to pharmacy technician certification, clarify the technician-in-training endorsement on pharmacy assistant registrations and resolve inconsistencies in pharmacy technician-training program requirements.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
The Board of Pharmacy updated immunization guidance for pharmacies for the 2026–2027 vaccine season, clarifying that a protocol is not needed for childhood flu vaccines since the CDC schedule does not identify flu vaccines by year.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
On July 22, Attorney General Tim Griffin (R) filed a lawsuit against drug manufacturers for allegedly illegally restricting patient access to the 340B discount drug program. The lawsuit is based on a law passed in 2021 by the General Assembly (Act 1103) aimed at protecting Arkansas covered entities’ access to 340B discounted drugs. It was the first state law in the country to make it unlawful for drug manufacturers to prohibit covered entities from using contract pharmacies or to deny 340B drug pricing to contract pharmacies used by covered entities. Drug manufacturers challenged Act 1103 as unconstitutional and lost at both the federal district and appellate levels.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
A California federal court dismissed PCMA’s challenge to California’s law SB 41 imposing fiduciary duties on PBMs. PCMA sued California Attorney General Rob Bonta in the US District Court for the Central District of California in January, arguing that this law interferes with self-funded health plans that are federally regulated under ERISA. Bonta argued that PCMA had not demonstrated specifics on how the law would negatively impact their daily business practices and that “other than regulating prohibited transactions, ERISA has nothing to say about plan-service provider relationships.” Judge Otis D. Wright, II, agreed, saying PCMA’s arguments only amounted to an “abstract theory” of injury by failing to identify specific contract provisions or operational changes PBMs would have to undergo. “Without such allegations, the Court is left to guess what conduct the statute requires and what burdens it imposes,” he wrote in his opinion dated July 24. The judge allowed PCMA to file an amended complaint, which the group said in a statement it plans to do. PCMA Counsel Michael Kimberly noted that Wright “recognized that compliance costs and changes to business operations are concrete injuries.” If Judge Wright finds that PCMA’s amended complaint properly states a concrete injury, the case will move forward.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
