In The States – Page 135 – Weekly news about states

California

The Department of Health Care Services posted the following alerts and weekly notices on the Medi-Cal Rx Web Portal. Please note the reinstatement resources and information below.

Enteral Nutrition Updates to the List of Covered Enteral Nutrition Products, Effective January 1, 2023 (January 26)
Age Restrictions on Psychotropics – System Issue Resolved (January 25)
NCPDP Reject Code 83 – Duplicate Paid/Captured Claim (January 24)
30-day Countdown – Reinstatement of Prior Authorization Requirements for 47 Drug Classes Including Medical Supplies (January 24)
Claims Processing Reminders for Medicare Medi-Cal Plans (January 20)
Age Restrictions on Psychotropics System Issue (January 20)
Medi-Cal Rx Weekly Wrap-up for January 13-19 (January 20)
Reinstatement Spotlight (January 20)
Medical Supplies: How to Prepare for Retirement of the Transition Policy (January 19)
Reminder: Clear Browser Cache (January 18)
Update on Age Restrictions of Psychotropics (January 17)
Reinstatement Spotlight (January 13)
Medi-Cal Rx Weekly Wrap-up for January 6-12 (January 13)

Also in California, Medi-Cal posted the following:

Update: Incontinence Product List Medi-Cal Benefit (January 24)
Continuity of Care for Transitioning Medi-Cal Members (January 13)
Medi-Cal Update – Pharmacy – January 2023 – Bulletin 1031 (January 13)
Medi-Cal Update – Durable Medical Equipment and Medical Supplies – January 2023 – Bulleting 568 (January 13)

Also in California, the Board of Pharmacy posted the agenda and the following meeting materials for the Standard of Care Ad Hoc Committee meeting on February 1.

Finally in California, the Board of Pharmacy posted the January 2023 issue of “The Script”, the board’s newsletter. This issue includes the following:

New pharmacy laws for 2023.
Governor announced end to declared state of emergency related to COVID-19.
Statewide program for disposal of sharps waste.
USP revised chapters 795 and 797.
Renew HSP and DRM licenses online.
FDA offers online resources to assist outsourcers and compounders.
The Board welcomes two members.
Summaries of disciplinary actions ordered July 1 through December 30, 2022.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

Michael Silber2023-01-27T10:16:42-05:00January 27, 2023|California|

Based on the recent decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to allow retail pharmacies to dispense Mifepristone, the Agency for Health Care Administration issued this alert to remind providers that they must continue to comply with Florida laws that govern the performance of abortions.

Two statutes are relevant here. First, section 390.0111(2), Florida Statutes, provides that “[n]o termination of pregnancy shall be performed at any time except by a [licensed] physician.”

Second, section 797.03(1), Florida Statutes, states that “[i]t is unlawful for any person to perform or assist in performing an abortion on a person, except in an emergency care situation, other than in a validly licensed hospital or abortion clinic or in a physician’s office.” Willfully violating these provisions could result in criminal penalties. See 390.0111(10)(a), Florida Statutes, and 797.03(4), Florida Statutes.

The Agency will refer to local law enforcement any evidence of criminal activity that it discovers in its survey of providers.

Also in Florida, the House Health and Human Services Committee held a meeting on January 24 to discuss pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) and the role they play in Florida’s healthcare delivery system. House Health and Human Services Committee Chair Randy Fine (R) indicated this was the first of several more meetings to come on the issue.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Michael Silber2023-01-27T10:15:40-05:00January 27, 2023|Florida|

Idaho

The State Board of Pharmacy issued a reminder to ensure that the delegates assigned by controlled substance (CS) registrants are still active and accurate. The delegate review is to ensure that delegate users of the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) are still authorized to perform searches on their supervisor’s behalf. Supervisors are responsible for activities performed within the system by their delegate(s). Supervisors may perform the delegate review by doing the following:

Log in to your Idaho PDMP account.
From your dashboard click “View All Delegates.”
Review delegates listed.
If the delegates are correct, take no further action. If a delegate should be changed, continue to step five.
Select any delegate to remove.
Click on “Remove.”
Click on “Reject.”
Repeat steps five, six, and seven until all unwanted delegates have been removed from the Delegate Management view.

Also in Idaho, the State Board of Pharmacy offers a variety of Idaho PDMP (AWARxE) Resources on the Board’s website for prescribers and pharmacists.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

Michael Silber2023-01-27T10:14:53-05:00January 27, 2023|Idaho|

Illinois

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Emergency Allotments (EAs), which have been issued since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic to address food insecurity challenges, will end in Illinois after February, when the federal increases expire. This change will impact over one million households and two million people in Illinois.

The benefit amount participants will receive starting in March will be noted in a client letter sent to all SNAP recipient households.

The Illinois Department of Human Services seeks to prepare SNAP Participants for U.S. Department of Agriculture’s return of SNAP benefits to the pre- pandemic levels. Grocery and pharmacy retailers can assist in the effort by posting SNAP Reduction Customer Notice posters in their stores.

Also in Illinois, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services will review the following classes at the Drugs &Therapeutics Advisory Board meeting on April 6: CGRP migraine agents, Oral Antipsychotic (class clean-up). All clinical and financial submissions are due to the Department by 3:00 p.m. CST on March 16. Submissions should be sent to: HFS.SupplementalRebaleProgram@illinois.gov. For more information, please visit here.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Michael Silber2023-01-27T10:14:17-05:00January 27, 2023|Illinois|

Indiana

NACDS was a sponsor of the January 24 Indiana Pharmacists Day at the Capitol. Pharmacists, technicians, interns and pharmacy students participated in advocacy training, provided health screening of legislators and staff and promoted the passage of several healthcare bills dealing with prescription drug rebates and pricing (SB 8, HB 1273), Medicaid reimbursement for clinical services (SB 152), prescribing and dispensing of hormonal contraceptives (SB 153, HB 1224), establishing a statewide standing order for dispensing naloxone (SB 214), “Test and Treat” (HB 1182) and auditing PBMs (HB 1445).

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

Michael Silber2023-01-27T10:13:43-05:00January 27, 2023|Indiana|

Iowa

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed Executive Order Number 10 placing a moratorium on administrative rulemaking and initiating a comprehensive review of all existing administrative rules, including a cost benefit analysis of existing rules to evaluate the public benefits, determine whether the benefits justify the cost and explore less restrictive alternatives consistent with the intended purpose.

Also in Iowa, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Iowa Medicaid published INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO 2415-MC-FFS – End of Continuous Coverage Requirement.

Also in Iowa, as part of its realignment initiative, DHHS announced its new combined health and human services website.

Finally in Iowa, NACDS sponsored the Iowa Pharmacy Association’s (IPA’s) Pharmacist Day on the Hill held on January 25. Pharmacists and pharmacy students participated in advocacy education and training activities and traveled to the Capitol to advocate for the modernization of the Pharmacy Practice Act, an increase in the Medicaid professional dispensing fee and enforcement of PBM regulations.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

Michael Silber2023-01-27T10:13:14-05:00January 27, 2023|Iowa|

Maryland

The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on SB 64, legislation that would allow pharmacists to prescribe post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV prevention, on January 31. If any members wish to submit written testimony, please contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

Michael Silber2023-01-27T10:12:33-05:00January 27, 2023|Maryland|

Massachusetts

The Board of Pharmacy has approved draft sterile compounding regulations to conform with the new USP standards. These regulations will require a public hearing and comments and review by the Governor before they are finalized.

Also in Massachusetts, an APS (Automated Pharmacy Systems) that meets all the requirements of the policy, and having been approved by the Board, is considered an extension of the pharmacy’s licensed area whether its location is contiguous or non-contiguous to the pharmacy. As a reminder, one of the policy’s requirements is that the APS must be at the same physical address as the pharmacy. Please see the updated policy 2022-07 relative to Automated Pharmacy Systems.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

Michael Silber2023-01-27T10:11:57-05:00January 27, 2023|Massachusetts|

Montana

The Department of Public Health and Human Services posted the 2023 Naloxone Standing Order on its Opioids and Overdose website.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

Michael Silber2023-01-27T10:11:16-05:00January 27, 2023|Montana|