The Legislative Rule Making Review Committee adopted the PBM rule as currently written without any debate. The rule, based on the passage of HB 2263 or 2021, must now receive final approval by the Legislature during the 2022 session.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
This week Governor Tony Evers (D) signed into law three pro-pharmacy bills. In specific the three bills are the Pharmacist Provider Status – providing pharmacist’s reimbursement for any clinical care services covered under the Medicaid program (SB 255), Pharmacy Technician Registration- establishing the registration of pharmacy technicians (SB 300) and Remote Dispensing Sites (SB 308) which licenses these sites and provides more flexibilities for remote supervision of site pharmacists. These laws will be in effect as the supporting regulations are finalized in 2022.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
As Alabama Medicaid continues to monitor the COVID-19 national emergency in Alabama, Medicaid is adding procedure codes for coverage. Providers may submit claims for dates of service on or after the effective dates for each procedure code as listed here. Providers may find the reimbursement rates for the COVID-19 testing procedure codes on Medicaid’s website at www.Medicaid.Alabama.gov by selecting Fee Schedules under the Providers tab.
Also in Alabama, effective January 1, 2020, all newly registered technicians are required to complete a Board approved training program within six (6) months of the registration. Technicians with Board approved training completed, PTCB or CPhT certifications, or registered prior to January 1, 2020, will be reflected as compliant with the training requirement on the technicians’ Board of Pharmacy website profile.
To view this data:
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development cut the initial registration and biennial renewal fees for the prescription drug monitoring program-controlled substance prescription database to $0 effective December 23, 2021.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) is convening a Special Session of the Legislature on Tuesday, December 6th to deal with income tax reform and repeal of the Insulin Rebate law (Act 1104/HB 1709).
Also in Arkansas, the Department of Health final rules amending the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to provide for an alternate method of reporting and allow the department to request prescription copies from dispensers for evaluation go into effect on December 3, 2021.
Finally in Arkansas. The Division of Medical Services adopted a rule revising the rate methodology and reimbursement rates for covered long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) that went into effect on December 1, 2021.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
The Medi-Cal Rx Monthly Bulletin for December has been posted. Below is an outline of this month’s updates. As a reminder, Medi-Cal Rx is schedule to be implemented effective January 1, 2021.
Also in California, NACDS submitted comments to the Board of Pharmacy in support of the proposed rule revising 16 CCR §1746.4 pertaining to requirements for notification to patients’ primary care provider following vaccine administration. In modifying the notification provisions of the rule to apply only when requested by a patient, the proposed rule change would reduce the administrative burden of preparing and forwarding potentially redundant information that is not always needed or desired by every primary care provider, especially considering that pharmacies also report administered vaccines to the California Immunization Registry. Considering pharmacist and pharmacy workload demands having amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, eliminating unnecessary administrative requirements free up pharmacy personnel to focus on meeting public demand for increased pharmacy services.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
The Department of Regulatory agencies (DORA) announced that the Board of Pharmacy, Medical Board, and Board of Nursing will hold a virtual Joint Stakeholder Meeting on December 20th seeking input on whether to develop a new statewide protocol for Statin Therapy within the scope of Collaborative Pharmacy Practice Agreements, as allowed per section 12-280-601(1), C.R.S., and Rule 17.00.00. This proposed protocol would allow pharmacists to provide evidence-based health-care services to increase access to a well-established medical standard of care. Written comments must be submitted by December 17, 2021. Oral comments will be taken from participants who are present via webinar.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Governor Ron DeSantis joined by Florida Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson to sign legislation that will protect Floridians from losing their jobs due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and protect parents’ rights to make healthcare decisions for students. The bills were passed through a Special Session of the Florida Legislature and are effective upon the Governor’s signature. The legislation signed today is the strongest anti-mandate action taken by any state in the nation. Read about the legislation HERE.
Also in Florida, Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Simone Marstiller issued the following statement in support of Florida’s challenge against the Biden Administration’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rule mandating that health care workers receive the COVID-19 vaccine:
“The recent CMS rule issued by Biden Administration will not only damage our stretched health care industry but impact our most vulnerable and their ability to receive the health care they need,” said Secretary Simone Marstiller. “Tying Medicare and Medicaid funding to a vaccination mandate – funding that pays for medical care for elderly, disabled, and low-income individuals – is a blatant overreach of power that must be challenged. Thanks to the leadership of Governor DeSantis and Attorney General Moody, Florida is doing just that, to protect Florida jobs, ensure access to care, and empower individuals in making personal health care decisions for themselves and their families.”
Finally in Florida, the Florida HIE will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, December 7th at 12:00pm EST. Learn about how the Encounter Notification Service (ENS) provides benefits to providers and patients across Florida. You may register here.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) posted the following, including new clinical materials related to recent ACIP recommendations for a COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 through 11 years of age:
Also in Iowa, the Board of Pharmacy has posted the meeting minutes from the August 31, 2021 meeting.
Finally in Iowa, NACDS submitted comments to the Board of Pharmacy concerning ARC 6012C related to Collaborative Pharmacy Practice Agreements and recommended the Board consider including physician assistants in the practitioner definition to include all licensed professionals duly authorized to prescribe to ensure all relevant pharmacy collaborations with prescribers can be leveraged to extend and improve care.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.