The Department of Health approved a final rule requiring reporting of vaccines by all providers, including pharmacies, with 24 hours of vaccine administration to the registry. The rule will be effective when published in the DC Register.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Rule 64B16-28.108 related to labeling of Medicinal Drugs by pharmacy permits has been revised by the Board of Pharmacy and became effective November 28, 2021. The revision is primarily for Institutional Class II, Modified Class II Type B, or Class III permits that are labeling patient specific medications.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
The Department of Public Health would like to hear from pharmacies who may be interested in providing the FDA approved COVID-19 therapeutic pill, Molnupiravir. Please take a minute to complete this COVID-19 Molnupiravir Pharmacy Interest Survey.
If you would like to learn more about Merck’s Molnupiravir pill, CLICK HERE to watch a 30-minute presentation by Lisley Brooks B.S., Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate 2022 and Tracy Dabbs, PharmD, Georgia Department of Public Health.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
On December 6, the Board of Pharmacy transitioned to a new payment platform (Gov2Go) for online applications. Additional information about the Iowa eGovernment portal, Gov2Go, was posted later this week. For faster access to Gov2Go, please create a Gov2Go account at web.gov2go.com. If you experience any payment issues while applying for a new license/registration or renewing an existing license/registration, please contact Terry Witkowski.
Also in Iowa, the Department of Public Health (IDPH) posted a NEW Vaccine Information Brief (12.10.21) with update on the vaccine allocation survey on December 13 that will not include Pfizer Adolescent/Adult Vaccine in order to utilize existing inventory in the state and FDA expands eligibility for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Booster Dose to Individuals 16 and 17 years of age. Also note last week’s Vaccine Information Brief (12.3.21) announcing ACIP COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Recommendation, Moderna Shelf-Life Extension Update and Updated – Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines and this week’s Vaccine Information Brief (12.8.21) with information about Pfizer transition to Comirnaty. Please direct questions to the COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center at 1-800-831-6293 ext. 1 or email.
Also in Iowa, the Department of Human Services, Iowa Medicaid Enterprise, issued INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2295-MC-FFS announcing the alignment between Managed Medicaid and Medicaid Fee-for-Service to limit the number of diabetic needles that member may obtain per month. The managed care organizations currently allow 100 needles per month. Members enrolled in Medicaid Fee-for-Service were also be limited to 100 diabetic needles per month effective December 1, 2021.
Finally in Iowa, the Department of Human Services, Iowa Medicaid Enterprise, issued INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2291-MC-FFS announcing several Medicaid Pharmacy Program Changes effective January 1, 2022, related to the following:
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
The Board of Pharmacy approved an emergency amendment to the pharmacy closure regulation at its Nov. 30 meeting. As an emergency regulation, once it is filed with the LRC it will be in effect immediately. The regulation changes the temporary pharmacy closure notification requirement from 5 days to 2 two days within a 14-day period or 9 days in a 30-day period and requires pharmacies to notify the board in immediately in writing of a closure meeting the threshold. Additionally, it has requirements for signage, control of prescriptions, notification of providers and post-closure claims adjudication.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
The Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI) Board of Pharmacy issued a bulletin on Vaccine Provider Healthcare Assistance in response to the Board of Pharmacy received regarding if pharmacies can use non-pharmacy healthcare providers to help provide both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 vaccines.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced the next COVID-19 Medicaid Provider call will take place on December 15 at noon (Central).
Also in Nebraska, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) updated the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Administration – Booster – Code: 0034A — $37.25 (effective November 2, 2021). DHHS also published its Provider Bulletin 21-21 – November 2021 COVID-19 Vaccines Updates, including COVID-19 booster doses and COVID-19 vaccinations for children. For questions, contact Medicaid.
Finally in Nebraska, the COVID rates have been added and been moved from the right-hand navigation list to the main list on the Department of Health and Human Service Medicaid Provider Rates and Fee Schedules website.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
In response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended EUA for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, authorizing the use of a single booster dose for administration to individuals 16 and 17 years of age at least six months after completion of primary vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine and the CDC expanding the recommendation for boosters to include 16 and 17 year old, North Carolina has updated the Standing Order regarding vaccine administration.
Also in North Carolina, the Board of Pharmacy has issued new guidance concerning the application for Pharmacist-Technician Ratio of 1:6 or Greater.
Finally in North Carolina, please see Information regarding the Administration of Long Acting Injectables in Medicaid.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) shared flu communications toolkits for healthcare providers to use in promoting flu vaccination for their patients during the 2021 – 2022 flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a NIVW digital toolkit featuring social media language and graphics, sample newsletter language, and printable resources. ODH posted a Flu Communications Toolkit that offers social media language and graphics and sample newsletter language around the importance of flu shots, in addition to flu and COVID-19 shots, as the best defense. Healthcare providers can monitor flu activity in Ohio, including county-level data, on the ODH Ohio Flu Activity webpage.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.