Vermont
The Board of Pharmacy is scheduled to hold its regular meeting on December 20; the agenda has been posted.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
Washington
Gov. Jay Inslee (D) hosted a roundtable this week to discuss the fentanyl crisis and laid out his proposals for the upcoming legislative session. The governor’s budget adds over $50 million in new funding to take down opioids for the 2023–25 biennium, augmenting the investments from the state’s $82 million opioid settlements with drug manufacturers and pharmacies responsible in part for the opioid crisis and general fund investments within the 2023–25 biennial budget. The biennial budget allocated over $200 million for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facility operations, rental subsidies for people with SUD, treatment subsidies, criminal diversion programs, peer support services, Tribal SUD grants and more.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Alaska
The Board of Pharmacy is meeting on November 16. The agenda and public packet are available on the Board’s website.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Arkansas
Candidates interested in running for state and federal offices in 2024 filed for office on November 6 through 14, 2023. At the top of the ballot will be the Presidential race, then the four U.S. Congressional House of Representatives seats, plus eighteen members of the thirty-five member Arkansas Senate, all one hundred members of the Arkansas House of Representatives. The primary election date is March 5, 2024, followed by the runoff on April 2, 2024, and the general election on November 5, 2024.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
California
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) posted the following alerts and weekly notices on the Medi-Cal Rx Web Portal.
- Medi-Cal Rx Weekly Wrap-up for November 3-9 (November 10)
- Reinstatement Spotlight (November 10)
- Enteral Nutrition Updates to the List of Contracted Enteral Nutrition Products, Effective November 1, 2023 (November 8)
- November Provider Payment Release Date Change (November 8)
- Reminder: Reinstatement of Brand Medically Necessary Prior Authorization Request Requirements for DAW (Dispense as Written) 1 Claims (November 8)
- Deactivation of Override Code “55555” for Select Drug/Products – Medi-Cal Rx Program Integrity Update (November 3)
- Medi-Cal Rx Weekly Wrap-up for October 27-November 2 (November 3)
- Reinstatement Spotlight (November 3)
Also in California, the DHCS (Department of Health Care Services) also posted the following:
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
Florida
Due to a delay in verifying the Medicaid weekly funding, provider payments will not be available until November 17. Please note that the “Payment Issue Date” on the remittance advice and all other generated information will remain the same. If you need assistance or have questions about provider payments, please contact the Provider Services Contact Center at 1-800-289-7799, option 7. This is a one-time delay with the regular weekly Thursday payment schedule. Due to the holiday falling on the regular weekly Thursday schedule, payment will be made on November 22.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
Georgia
Gov. Brian P. Kemp (R) has extended the State of Emergency for Inflation, which suspended the state’s excise tax on motor and locomotive fuel. The executive order will remain in effect until 11:59 pm on November 29.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
Indiana
The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) provided pharmacy updates approved by Drug Utilization Review Board in October.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Kansas
The Board of Pharmacy adopted a new guidance document regarding when a prescriber must request a waiver before non-electronically prescribing a controlled substance in schedule II-V that contains an opiate. While the Board’s guidance is primarily aimed at prescribers, pharmacists should be aware of their responsibilities when they receive a non-electronic prescription of a controlled substance in schedule II-V that contains an opiate.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.