HB 2263, the pharmacy technician vaccine administration bill, was amended in Committee and passed the full House by a vote of 119-3. This bill was referred to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee and will be heard on March 15.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
With the federal government ending the continuous Medicaid coverage requirement on March 31, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) is notifying Medicaid members that eligibility renewals will begin on April 1. DOM urges all Medicaid members to make sure their contact information is correct by clicking here.
To prepare for the return to annual renewals, DOM is sending notices to recipients alerting them to the change in federal requirements and to look for renewal forms in the mail in the months ahead.
To learn more, please click here.
Ways you can help:
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
SB 41 by Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder (R) repeals the physician protocol requirement and adds language allowing pharmacists to order and administer certain FDA-approved or authorized vaccines to persons at least seven years of age or older, pursuant to rules promulgated by the Board of Pharmacy and the Board of Registration for the Healing Arts, or rules promulgated under a state of emergency. The bill is pending on the Senate floor.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
HB 710, legislation permitting pharmacy interns and technicians to administer immunizations, passed the House (90-8) and was transmitted to the Senate on March 3.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
While the legislature is scheduled to adjourn their 60-day session on March 18, several bills of interest to pharmacies are pending.
SB 92, legislation that would allow a pharmacist to order, test, screen and treat for five enumerated conditions (COVID, influenza, group A strep pharyngitis, uncomplicated urinary tract infection, and HIV [limited to pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis]) as well as any other conditions of public health importance identified by the Department of Health, was amended in committee, and passed the Senate. The bill was referred to the House and is scheduled for a hearing in the House Health and Human Services Committee on March 10.
HB 451 is the PBM tiered reimbursement rate bill that was filed late and recently reported favorably from the House Health and Human Services Committee. It is currently pending in the House Appropriations and Finance Committee with a fiscal note.
SB 14, legislation regulating the practice of PBMs, was voted favorably from the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee, and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for further action
HB 177, therapeutic interchange legislation that would allow pharmacists to change an initial prescription to comply with the health plan formulary, is on the House calendar awaiting a floor vote. HB 132 provides payment parity for mail order and retail pharmacies, is also awaiting a House floor vote.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
On March 14, NACDS will be joining the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York (PSSNY (Pharmacists Society of the State of New York)) in a rally in support of the Medicaid transition to fee-for-service. Beginning April 1, 2023, all Medicaid members enrolled in Mainstream Managed Care will receive their prescription drugs through NYRx, the Medicaid Pharmacy Program. The rally is to advocate to the legislature so no action would alter the planned transition.
On March 21 at 1:00 p.m., the State Department of Health will be holding its next online seminar for all stakeholders about the pharmacy benefit transition. Members, providers and all interested stakeholders are welcome to attend regarding the transition.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
TennCare has contracted with Mercer Government Human Services Consulting (Mercer) to conduct a professional cost of dispensing survey and a survey of acquisition cost data, also known as the Average Actual Acquisition Cost (AAAC) survey. Both surveys will begin on April 3, 2023, and must be submitted to Mercer no later than May 12, 2023.
All network pharmacies will be required to complete the professional cost of dispensing survey; however, only select pharmacies will also be required to complete the biannual AAAC survey.
Mercer will conduct a technical online seminar on March 20, 2023, at 10:00 AM CST to discuss both surveys and answer any provider questions. Please utilize the log in information below to join:
Link: https://mmc.zoom.us/s/92516957090?pwd=S0p3bm9JeHFGRTJ4R2NOeTZMNitnUT09
Passcode: 030511
Please feel free to direct any questions regarding the survey to (Lora.Underwood@tn.gov) or mercerrxpassage@mercer.com.
Also in Tennessee, please view the pharmacy provider notification regarding missing AAAC rates. You can contact the OptumRx Pharmacy Supports Center at 866-434-5520 or tnrxeducation@optum.com if you have any questions.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
Legislation has been filed in both the House and Senate that would prohibit the Health and Human Services Commission’s Vendor Drug Program from including any discount price offered for the prescription drug, including a discount offered through a third-party discount card when defining the price of a prescription drug for purposes of determining the Usual and Customary (U&C) reimbursement rate for Medicaid. These bills include SB 1619 by Sen. Charles Perry (R) and HB 3214 by Rep. Donna Howard (D).
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
HB 288 (1st Sub.), legislation requiring a pharmacist who dispenses opioids to offer to counsel the patient or the patient’s representative on the use and availability of an opioid antagonist and offer to dispense an opioid antagonist with a prescription or under other defined criteria, passed both the House and the Senate and will be sent to Gov. Spencer Cox (R) for his consideration.
Also in Utah, SB 193, legislation that a health insurer may not require a pharmacy to dispense a clinician-administered drug directly to an enrollee with the intention that the enrollee will transport the drug to a healthcare provider for administering, passed the Senate and the House and will be sent to Gov. Cox for his consideration.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.