Florida

As part of the Agency for Health Care Administration’s (Agency) quality initiatives, the Agency requested that each Medicaid health plan develop provider resource guides with direct service lines, escalation contacts, and after-hours instructions covering a wide range of service areas. The following service areas can be found in each plan’s resource guide: 

  • Behavioral Health 
  • Case Management 
  • Community Resources 
  • Perinatal Care 
  • Pharmacy 
  • Subcontracted Services 
  • Transportation  
  • Utilization Management 

The Agency’s goals with this initiative are to improve communication and coordination between plans and providers, and more specifically: to reduce readmissions by improving communication among health plans and providers; to improve members’ access to timely and appropriate services post-discharge; and to streamline the coordination of behavioral health services for members, especially those with substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). 

Each plan’s resource guide has been posted publicly on their respective websites, but may be easily accessed from the Florida Medicaid Health Plan Resources page on the Agency’s website. The Agency encourages providers to explore the resource guides for the health plans with which they contract and to utilize them to coordinate services for members they serve. 

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

2022-02-11T11:57:42-05:00February 11, 2022|Florida|

Georgia

The Georgia Board of Pharmacy has just begun the process for reviving a quarterly, electronic newsletter. President of the Board, Dean Stone has appointed Chuck Page and Young Chang to lead this effort. Chuck has reached out and asked that our members provide him with the email addresses of everyone in their pharmacy operations whom they want to begin receiving these future newsletters. Please just provide this information directly to Chuck Page. His email address is chuck.page@kroger.com.

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

2022-02-11T11:51:44-05:00February 11, 2022|Georgia|

Louisiana

The Board of Pharmacy is meeting at 9 AM on February 17th in Baton Rouge. Items on the agenda of interest include legislative proposals on collaborative practice agreements, statewide protocols for patient care services and immunizations.

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

2022-02-11T11:45:43-05:00February 11, 2022|Louisiana|

Maryland

The Office of Pharmacy Services has issued a new bulletin applying to COVID-19 Home Test Kit Coverage and another new bulletin regarding coverage for oral COVID-19 antivirals for the Medicaid Fee-for-Service (FFS) Program. Anyone interested in directly receiving upcoming Advisories may forward his/her name, company affiliation and email address directly to Deborah.washington@maryland.gov 

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

2022-02-11T11:43:07-05:00February 11, 2022|Maryland|

Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy has updated two policies. Policy 2022-01 dealing with loss or theft of Controlled Substances which now requires confirmed and possible losses be reported within a 7 calendar days period. The second policy change deals with USP 800 in Community Pharmacies.

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

2022-02-14T14:51:29-05:00February 11, 2022|Massachusetts|

Missouri

Legislation that would expand pharmacists’ scope of practice bill, HB 2452 by Rep. Bennie Cook (R) was referred to the House Emerging Issues Committee. Hearing date has not been set. 

Also in Missouri, HB 2452 & SB (Senate Bill) 1126, legislation has been filed in both the House and Senate that proposes to modify  the definition of a medication therapeutic plan by repealing language defining it by the prescription order must be specific to each patient, The bills also would re-define the practice of pharmacy to include the ordering and administering of U.S. FDA-approved or authorized vaccines to persons at least 7 years of age or the CDC-approved age, whichever is 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.  

Finally in Missouri, effective February 4, 2022, an emergency rule reinstated pharmacy’s ability to use out-of-state vendors to help fill orders for drugs. 

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

2022-02-11T11:39:26-05:00February 11, 2022|Missouri|

Nevada

Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) ended the state’s mask mandate effective immediately, February 10, 2022.

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

2022-02-11T11:34:28-05:00February 11, 2022|Nevada|

North Carolina

In response to the passage of House Bill 96 and House Bill 196, the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy has published proposed rules in the North Carolina Register to implement this legislation in three specific areas. The Board will accept written comments on these rules until May 2, 2022, and these comments can be sent to Jay Campbell by email at ncboprulemaking@ncbop.org. The Board will also hold a remote public hearing on these proposed rules on April 28, 2022, at 10:00 am.  

  1. House Bill 96 required the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy to adopt rules creating a Code of Ethics for Pharmacists. The Board has proposed 21 NCAC 46 .1820 incorporates the American Pharmacist Code of Ethics. 
  1. House Bill 96 authorized pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns to administer vaccines and immunizations allowed under N.C.G.S. 90-85.15B including COVID-19 Vaccines and Influenza vaccines for patients ten years of age and older. The Board has proposed changes to 21 NCAC 46 .2507 (Administration of Vaccines by Pharmacists) by creating a new subsection (c) to set-out the requirements for pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns to administer these vaccines including required training, supervision, offers of counseling and continuing education. Of note the required training is a practical training program approved by the Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education.  

Code of Ethics for Pharmacists (21 NCAC 46.1820) and Changes to Immunizing Pharmacists Rules (21 NCAC 46.2507) – http://www.ncbop.org/LawsRules/1820_2507ProposedCodeofEthics_AdminVaccinesPublicHearingApr282022.pdf  

  1. House Bill 196 and subsequently amended by House Bill 96 authorizes immunizing pharmacists to administer long-acting injectables and the proposed 21 NCAC 46 .2514 implements this new practice area by defining what constitutes a “long-acting injectable”, provides training requirements and acceptable training programs, sets out a standard as far as possession of the long-acting injectable drug and creates records keeping requirements for the immunizing pharmacist.  

Administration of Long-Acting Injectables (21 NCAC 46. 2514) – http://www.ncbop.org/LawsRules/2514_ProposedRuleAdminLongActingInjectablesPublicHearingApr282022.pdf  

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

2022-02-11T11:33:40-05:00February 11, 2022|North Carolina|

Ohio

The Department of Health has announced that for a limited time, vaccine providers who plan to administer COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 6 months through 4 years can place advance orders for the vaccine. This advance ordering window allows providers the chance to be among the first recipients of the new formulation created for this age group. Ordering is now open through the ImpactSIIS Vaccine Ordering Management System (VOMS), and orders for this initial ordering window must be submitted no later than noon on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. It is important to note that any providers placing orders for this first set of deliveries must have staff available to receive the shipment on President’s Day, Feb. 21. 

Also in Ohio: The Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee (JMOC) will hold their monthly meeting on February 17 at 9am in the Senate Finance Room. Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran will provide an update on programs. You can access more information on JMOC’s webpage and it may be streamed and recorded on The Ohio Channel. 

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

2022-02-11T11:31:41-05:00February 11, 2022|Ohio|

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