Indiana
Legislation authorizing pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraception passed both houses and was sent to Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) to be signed into law. (HB 1568)
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Iowa
The Iowa Pharmacy Association, in coordination with the Iowa Medical Society (IMS), Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Iowa Hospital Association (IHA), and the Iowa Primary Care Association (Iowa PCA), leads the Iowa Healthcare Workforce Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Engagement Initiative.
Iowa communities are facing challenges recruiting and retaining across the healthcare workforce population. These partner organizations are working together to assess and evaluate the current landscape and future of the healthcare workforce in Iowa. From these meetings, the statewide action plan will evolve to address current workforce challenges and opportunities.
Over the next few months, regional meetings will be held across the state. All locations will have two sessions available in the day (either 9:00 am – 11:00 am or 1:00 pm – 3:00pm). Click the following links to register.
Upcoming regional townhall meetings:
Des Moines on Friday, April 28th
Waterloo on Wednesday, May 10th
Also in Iowa, the Department of Health and Human Services published the following:
- INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2443-MC-FFS – Monkeypox Vaccine and Testing
INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2446-MC-FFS – Provider Messaging and the Continuous Coverage Requirement Unwind
INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2445-MC-FFS-CVD – Monoclonal Antibodies Update - INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2434-MC-FFS – COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE Unwind – Out-of-Network Enhanced Provider Payment Expiring
- INFORMATION LETTER NO. 2426-MC-FFS-CVD – End of COVID-19 PHE Pharmacy Allowances
- INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2432-MC-FFS – End of Federal PHE Flexibilities
Finally in Iowa, the Board of Pharmacy posted the agenda and related materials for its May 2 meeting.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
Kentucky
Pharmacies can now bill Medicaid for vaccines administered to children enrolled in the Medicaid program, regardless of the pharmacy’s participation in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. The change is a result of a rule recently adopted and effective as of March 9, 2023. The rule revised the VFC program regulatory requirements by deleting the language in Section 2 of 907 KAR 1:680 that had previously expressly prohibited Medicaid from “making] payment to a provider for the cost of a vaccine available through the Vaccines for Children Program.” Please reference the As Amended Proposed Rule to see the changes as engrossed in the FInal Rule.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Louisiana
The Legislature convened their 60-day fiscal session on Monday, April 10th. The House Health Committee has scheduled a hearing on May 10th on HB 471, legislation the Louisiana Alliance of Retail Pharmacies (LARP) initiated that lowers the age to 7 and older for pharmacies to administer all ACIP immunizations and vaccines without a patient specific prescription or medical order.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Maryland
The General Assembly adjourned Sine Die this week. The following priority bills for pharmacy are on their way to Gov. Moore (D) for his signature:
- HB 693– Allows pharmacists to delegate the administration of certain vaccines to adults to Pharmacy technicians and allows technicians to perform remote data entry. This “emergency bill” will be effective upon signing.
- SB 678 – Requires Medicaid, CHIP, and commercial insurers to reimburse pharmacies for services within their scope of practice if the plan would otherwise cover. Effective Oct 1, 2023.
- HB 374– Clarifies that the statutory audit provisions in current audit law applies to PBMs (Pharmacy Benefits Managers) contracted with Managed Care Plans; adds new requirements that apply to all insurers and managed care; and requires PBMs to provide a secure electronic method of communication between the pharmacy and the PBM for sharing auditing information by Oct 2025. Provides that MIA (Maryland Insurance Administration) may promulgate rules. Effective Jan 1, 2024.
- HB 382 -Requires the MDH (Maryland Department of Health) (Maryland Department of Health) and Prescription Drug Advisory Board to complete a study on MCC claims around the costs of implementing a pharmacy reimbursement cost-based rate floor in the Medicaid Managed Care program. The study is due to the General Assembly in Oct 2023.
NACDS thanks our state partners and members for their work to get these bills across the finish line.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Massachusetts
On April 27, 2023, the MassHealth Pharmacy Program announced that “effective May 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, MassHealth members, including those in managed care plans, do not have to pay copays for prescription drugs. This also applies to Health Safety Net (HSN) patients during this period.”
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
Missouri
Pharmacy technicians immunizing under the Board’s statutes and rules must complete an initial and annual documented competency assessment. A sample Technician Immunization Assessment Checklist template is intended for guidance purposes only to assist licensees and should be modified as appropriate for your practice setting.
Also in Missouri, the 2023 Practice Guide contains updated compliance tips and information on recent statutory/rule changes, including, new/revised sections on Pharmacy Working Conditions, Technician Supervision & Expanded Technician Activities, Electronic Final Product Verification by Pharmacists, Technology-Assisted Product Verification by Interns & Technicians, and Quality Assurance.
Finally in Missouri, the 2023 Missouri Pharmacy statutes and rules law book is available here.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Montana
Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed the following bills:
- HB 379 (Chapter Number: 259), extending the prohibition on PBMs to require federally certified health entities to identify 340B drugs from June 1, 2023, to June 1, 2025.
- HB 710 (Chapter Number: 216), permitting a pharmacist to delegate the administration of immunizations to a pharmacy technician or licensed intern, who has completed requirements for education and training. Administration of immunizations by technicians and interns will be supervised by the pharmacist.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
Nebraska
The Department of Health and Human Services posted the Practitioner Fee Schedule for Injectables effective April 1, 2023. The Department also posted the COVID-19 Fee Schedule effective April 21.
Also in Nebraska, the Department of Health and Human Services published the following:
- Provider Bulletin 23-11: Pandemic Flexibilities That End After June 30, 2023
- Provider Bulletin 23-10: Pandemic Flexibilities That End After May 11, 2023
Also in Nebraska, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the DUR (Drug Utilization Review) Board Meeting scheduled for May 9 has been cancelled. The next meeting will be held on July 11.
Finally in Nebraska, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a public hearing on May 31 to receive comments on proposed changes to Title 471, Chapter 7 of the Nebraska Administrative Code (NAC) – Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Medical Supplies (DMEPOS). The proposed changes set the regulations’ scope and authority; update definitions; expand prescription authority; update provider requirements; update service requirements for covered and non-covered services; add glucose monitors as a covered service; update billing and payment requirements; remove unnecessary and outdated language; remove duplicate statutory language from the regulations; update formatting; and restructure the regulatory chapter. Written comments may be submitted no later than the day of the hearing to: DHHS Legal Services, PO Box 95026, Lincoln, NE 68509-5026, (402) 742-2382 (fax) or dhhs.regulations@nebraska.gov, respectively.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.