Ohio
The Department of Health has published updated Guidance for Ohio Vaccine Providers for Administering Booster Doses.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Oregon
The Board of Pharmacy adopted the following permanent rules.
| Permanent Rule | Effective Date |
| Division 007/041/045/065 – related to USP, Labeling, Repackaging | December 16, 2021 |
| Division 010 – related to Board Administration & Policies | December 16, 2021 |
| Division 019/021 – related to Pain Management CE | January 1, 2022 |
| Division 019/139 – related to Remote Dispensing Site Pharmacy/Telepharmacy | January 1, 2022 |
| Division 041 – related to Telework | December 16, 2021 |
| Division 041 – related to TCVP (Technician Checking Validation Program) | October 1, 2022 |
| Division 041/080 – related to Pseudoephedrine/Ephedrine | January 1, 2022 |
| Division 043 – related to SPDO/DPDO/CHC | January 1, 2022 |
| Division 043 – related to SPDO (Supervising Physician Dispensing Outlet) | March 31, 2022 |
| Division 060/110 – related to PDMP Fee Increase | January 1, 2022 |
Also in Oregon, as a reminder, effective January 1, 2022, drugs containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine may be purchase without a prescription. See item above regarding the permanent rule related to pseudoephedrine/ephedrine. For information about the use of the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx) system, please refer to the Board of Pharmacy’s November 2021 newsletter.
Also in Oregon, the Board of Pharmacy issued a notice requesting fiscal impact estimates from stakeholders for temporary and permanent pharmacy closures. Note: any information provided to the Board becomes a public record.
Finally in Oregon, the Board of Pharmacy’s CE Rules Advisory Committee will meet on January 18. Details to participate in the meeting via phone conference are available in the agenda.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
Pennsylvania
The Office of Medical Assistance Programs (OMAP) has announced by bulletin that they will now reimburse pharmacies a $10 administration fee for any vaccine provided to adult Medicaid patients consistent with the Pharmacy Practice Act, retroactive to Nov. 1, 2021, in both FFS and MC. Historically OMAP has only paid for ingredient costs. Billing codes are in the bulletin. Pharmacies cannot bill for vaccines covered under the VFC program.
Also in Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) will be transitioning PDMP system vendors. This change will bring new enhancements to the PDMP that are based on feedback from PDMP users, including a single platform for pharmacists to search patients, and upload and edit data. Starting on January 10, 2022, PDMP users will need to transfer their accounts to create new login credentials and establish their SFTP credentials (if applicable) within the LogiCoy PDMP platform. Pharmacies using a third party for data submission must ensure their vendor also transfers their accounts. Transitioning accounts takes an average user less than two minutes, as registration has been streamlined to pre-populate information based on the user’s license information. The transfer account period begins on January 10. During this time all PDMP users must, by February 14:
- Click “Transfer Account or Register”
- Follow the prompts and enter their information
- Ensure the information is correct and submit
Pharmacists (or their data submission vendor) will be able to test their data submission during this time. Please note, before February 14, PDMP users will continue to use PMP Aware to search patients and PMP Clearinghouse to upload data. On February 14, PDMP users will begin using the LogiCoy PDMP to search patients and upload data. Users who search patients through their organization’s pharmacy management system will not need to change how they search patients and will not experience any changes to their pharmacy management system’s connection to the PDMP. For more information about the PDMP, please visit: www.doh.pa.gov/pdmp. For assistance with account transfer, please contact LogiCoy technical support at 844-939-0999 or email papdmp@logicoy.com.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Texas
The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) includes COVID-19 at-home test kits as a Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Healthy Texas Women (HTW), Kidney Health Care (KHC), and Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) pharmacy benefit effective January 3, 2022, for fee-for-service (FFS), and no later than January 17, 2022, for managed care. An adjudicated pharmacy claim is required for reimbursement of a COVID-19 at-home test. Clients may obtain COVID-19 at-home test kits from a Medicaid-enrolled retail pharmacy with or without a prescription from a prescribing provider.
Also in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) made several appointments to the Board of Pharmacy: Ian Shaw, a Dallas attorney will serve as a new public member, and pharmacists Suzette Tijerina and Jenny Yoakum were reappointed to serve a six-year term.
Also in Texas, the Health and Human Services Commission’s Department of State Health Services is hosting weekly provider webinars on Tuesdays to share the latest COVID-19 vaccine information on ordering, administration, and reporting guidelines.
- Tuesday, January 11, Noon – 1:30 p.m. CT. Register here.
- Tuesday, January 18, Noon – 1:30 p.m. CT. Register here.
- Tuesday, January 25, Noon – 1:30 p.m. CT. Register here.
Finally in Texas, the Board of Pharmacy published two proposed rules in the Texas Register on 12/24/2021: (1) conforms to federal standards by extending the time period for pharmacists to dispense prescription drug orders for Schedule II controlled substances issued by an out-of-state practitioner to the end of the 30th day after the date the prescription is issued; and (2) determines the validity of prescriptions issued as a result of teledentistry dental services or telemedicine dental services. Comments are due to the TSBP by January 24, 2022.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Virginia
The Board of Pharmacy has published final emergency regulations authorizing pharmacists to initiate treatment with certain drugs, devices, controlled paraphernalia, and other OTC supplies and equipment for adult patients became effective December 22, 2021. Pharmacists may now utilize the new statewide protocols to initiate treatment for vaccines, TB, HIV PeP and PrEP, and over-the counter medications when they decrease a patient’s out-of-pocket expenses. The regulations are a result of legislation that members, allies and NACDS worked on in the 2021 legislative session.
Also in Virginia: The Department of Health has published a Revised COVID-19 Vaccine Standing Order has been updated and posted here. Also refer to the revised Summary of Legal Authorities for Pharmacists to Administer COVID-19 Vaccine. The updates to the Standing Order include:
Allowing any COVID-19 vaccine booster to be administered at an interval of 5 months, rather than 6 months, after completion of the Pfizer-BioNTech primary series (any COVID-19 vaccine booster remains recommended 6 months after a Moderna vaccine primary series and 2 months after Johnson & Johnson vaccine)
- Children 12-17 years old are recommended to receive a Pfizer booster vaccine 5 months following their primary series
- Children 5-11 years old who are immunocompromised are recommended to receive a 3rd Pfizer dose as part of their primary series 28 days after 2nd dose
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Alabama
Changes described in the ALERT dated November 5, 2021, regarding the replacement of Claim Adjustment Reason Code (CARC) Code 45 with CARC Code (96) will not be implemented. Gainwell verified CARC Code 45 still conforms to the Payment & Remittance Uniform Use of CARCs and RARCs (835) Rule. As a result, Alabama Medicaid will continue using CARC Code 45 to indicate pricing adjustments to payments due to fee schedules/allowed amounts.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
California
The Department of Health Care Services continues to post and publish information to prepare pharmacy providers for the implementation of Medi-Cal Rx effective January 1, 2022. See “Medi-Cal Rx begins January 1st, are you ready?”. Note: use this link Office Hour Luncheon Session ,which is only available Monday-Friday, 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. PST (excluding holidays). Please note the prior authorization process and other essential information. Lastly, the Medi-Cal Rx customer service number is 1-800-977-2273 and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year after January 1, 2022. The Customer Service Center published a list of Main Menu Prompt Options.
Also in California, the Medi-Cal Rx Web Portal has been updated with the following. Note: Medi-Cal Rx will be implemented effective January 1, 2022.
- Countdown to Go-Live – Have You Reviewed the Medi-Cal Rx Pharmacy Transition Policy?
- Medi-Cal Rx Electronic Claims Agreement
Also in California, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) published its Stakeholder Communication Update – December 2021. Highlights include the following. See update for details and additional information.
- Continuous glucose monitors, as a pharmacy-billed medical supply benefit through Medi-Cal Rx, will be covered effective January 1, 2022. See Medi-Cal Rx: Transitioning Medi-Cal Pharmacy Services from Managed Care to Fee-for-Service Frequently Asked Questions (Version 10.0 – December 3, 2021).
- Medi-Cal Rx: For questions or comments related to Medi-Cal Rx, email RxCarveOut@dhcs.ca.gov
- CMS has approved SPA 21-0028, adding MTM as a payable Medi-Cal Fee-for-Service pharmacy service provided in conjunction with certain complex chronic medical conditions. participate in the program, Medi-Cal-enrolled pharmacies will be required to enter a contract with DHCS.
Also in California, the Department of Consumer Affairs issued a news release reminding providers of mandatory e-prescribing requirements effective January 1, 2022, pursuant to AB 2789 (Chapter 438, 2018).
Finally in California, the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced that Bamboo Health will be the new vendor for prescription data collection services for the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System (CURES). Additional details and information will be provided in the coming weeks regarding the transition process in early 2022 from the current vendor, Atlantic Associates Inc. (AAI), to the new vendor, Bamboo Health.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
Georgia
The Georgia Medicaid Fee-For-Service pharmacy system has now been updated to accept a pharmacist’s NPI as the prescriber ID on flu vaccine claims using a Submission Clarification Code = 42. The below communication will be sent in an upcoming pharmacy banner.
PHARMACIST ORDERED FLU VACCINES
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an eighth amendment to the Declaration under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act), expanding the authority for pharmacists to order influenza vaccines. For flu vaccine claims with fill dates on or after 08/04/2021, pharmacies may utilize a Submission Clarification Code (SCC) of 42 in NCPDP Field: 420-DK in response to a rejection regarding prescriber NPI when the prescribing NPI is the pharmacist of record and is compliant with state and federal guidlines.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
Iowa
The Board of Pharmacy published a Notice of Intended Action to amend the following. The deadline for comments is January 4, 202,2 at 4:30 p.m. Central.
Also, the Board adopted and filed Chapter 3 “Pharmacy Technicians” (ARC 6071C) which is currently in effect as an emergency rule.
Lastly, the Board published the following adopted and filed rules effective January 19, 2022:
- Chapter 3, “Pharmacy Technicians” (ARC 6071C)
- Chapter 8, “Universal Practice Standards” (ARC 6073C)
- Chapter 10, “Controlled Substances” (ARC 6074C)
- Chapter 3, “Pharmacy Technicians,” Chapter 8, “Universal Practice Standards,” Chapter 20, “Compounding Practices,” and Chapter 39, “Expanded Practice Standards” (ARC 6076C)
- Chapter 21, “Electronic Data and Automated Systems in Pharmacy Practice” (ARC 6077C)
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.