In The States – Page 281 – Weekly news about states

Missouri

MOHealthNet reminds its providers about upcoming system updates, including Pharmacy Point of Sale and the Helpdesk. The Pharmacy Point of Sale will not be available for approximately 1.5 hours starting at midnight CDT on Saturday, December 5, 2020, and will be brought up by 1:30 A.M. CDT on Saturday, December 5, 2020. Pharmacies may begin submitting claims after 1:30 A.M. CDT. The Pharmacy Helpdesk will be unavailable on Saturday, December 5, and will be available on Sunday, December 6, 2020, for normal business hours.

Also in Missouri. The State of Missouri COVID-19 vaccine planning team will host Vaccine Planning for Vaccinators meetings on Thursdays from 3-4 pm Central, with its first meeting being held on December 3. The planning team will provide state and federal updates as needed on COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution plans and answer questions from providers who have enrolled with DHSS as COVID-19 vaccinators as well as those who are seeking more information about the process before enrollment. View the vaccinator webpage for more information. To register to attend the December 3 meeting, please register here.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Michael Angeloni2020-12-04T08:54:36-05:00December 4, 2020|Missouri|

New Mexico

On November 24, the Legislature held a one-day special session called by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) authorizing a $329 million aid package for unemployment benefits, grants to small businesses, and aid for families impacted by the COVID pandemic. More information can be found here.

Also in New Mexico. In advance of the December 2 public hearing, NACDS submitted a letter to the Department of Health opposing Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s (D) law passed last session establishing a Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program. Specifically, NACDS mentioned that the requirement for pharmacies to report adverse events within 15 or 90 days, depending on the type of event, is not workable and is duplicative of the FDA established process for reporting adverse events. NACDS also raised the issue that the reimbursement must be sufficient such that it is financially sustainable for a pharmacy to participate.

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

Michael Angeloni2020-12-04T08:52:58-05:00December 4, 2020|New Mexico|

Ohio

The Board of Pharmacy has released updated guidance including FAQs on the administration of COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic. Similar guidance addressing pharmacy technicians is also available here.

Also in Ohio. Medicaid has released the results of its 2020 Fee-For-Service Pharmacy Cost of Dispensing Study conducted by Myers & Stauffer. The survey found that the mean cost of dispensing, weighted by Medicaid prescription volume, was $9.46 per prescription for all pharmacies including specialty pharmacies. For non-specialty pharmacies only, the mean cost of dispensing, weighted by Medicaid prescription volume, was $9.07 per prescription. Based on the results from this survey, ODM stated there will be no change to the current FFS tiered structure.

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

Michael Angeloni2020-12-04T08:50:23-05:00December 4, 2020|Ohio|

Pennsylvania

Several bills addressing priority issues in both NACDS’ Scope of Practice and Reimbursement Campaigns were signed into law by Gov. Wolf (D) in the last days of the 2019-2020 Legislative Session. NACDS was instrumental in the passage of these bills, partnering with PACDS and PPA:

HB 770 became law on November 30 as Act 140 of 2020. Effective immediately, it exempts pharmacies from the antiquated requirement in PA Clinical Lab Act that a “lab supervisor” have past employment in a lab to qualify for state approval to conduct COVID, flu, and strep CLIA-waived testing. In effect, it removes the long-standing barrier to pharmacies ordering and performing end-to-end COVID, flu, and strep tests. The bill also includes language requiring pharmacy technicians to be registered with the Board of Pharmacy and includes language permanently allowing technicians to perform remote data entry. The BOP has 18 months to promulgate regulations around technician registration, however, the remote data entry provision was effective November 30. Note: As members apply to the PA DOH for CLIA-waived approval to conduct these tests, please let us know the outcome.
HB 941, a PBM pricing transparency bill that includes a prohibition on clawbacks and requires transparency around transmission fees. It also orders a Legislative Budget and Finance Committee study to analyze pricing and reimbursement under the managed care program. Now Act 120 takes effect 60 days from November 25.
HB 943 prohibits gag clauses in contracts with PBMs. It was effective upon signing.

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

Michael Angeloni2020-12-04T08:48:45-05:00December 4, 2020|Pennsylvania|

South Dakota

The Department of Social Services issued a bulletin indicating that Medicaid now allows prescriptions for certain generic maintenance medications to be filled as a 90-day supply. They provided a list of eligible medications, recommending providers to check it regularly as the list is subject to change. Recipients must first establish compliance and tolerability of the medication before it can be filled as a 90-day supply. To qualify, a recipient must have filled the prescription for the same drug and strength for three 30-day supplies within the previous 100 days.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Michael Angeloni2020-12-04T10:46:24-05:00December 4, 2020|South Dakota|

Virginia

The Board of Pharmacy has revised its document HHS Vaccine Allowances for Pharmacists, Pharmacy Interns, and Pharmacy Technicians during COVID-19 Health Emergency and COVID-19 Testing Resource to include additional guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on October 20 which authorizes both “qualified pharmacy technicians” and State-authorized pharmacy interns acting under the supervision of a qualified pharmacist to administer FDA-authorized or FDA-licensed COVID-19 vaccines to persons ages three or older and to administer FDA-authorized or FDA-licensed ACIP-recommended vaccines to persons ages three through 18.

Also in Virginia. The agenda packet for the Board of Pharmacy’s virtual public hearings and the full board meeting scheduled on December 10, 2020, has been posted.

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

Michael Angeloni2020-12-04T08:41:44-05:00December 4, 2020|Virginia|

Wisconsin

The Department of Health Services Immunization Program will provide a general update about the Wisconsin COVID-19 Vaccination Plan Friday, December 4, from 10:00-11:00 am for vaccine partners and stakeholders. This webinar will focus on current plans for Phase 1A, which involves priority vaccination for health care personnel. Please register in advance of the webinar. DHS will also continue its weekly webinar on Tuesdays from 9:00-9:30 am. There is no need to pre-register, but vaccinators should submit questions in advance to dhscovidvaccinator@wi.gov. Please click on this link at the time of the webinar.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Michael Angeloni2020-12-04T08:39:48-05:00December 4, 2020|Wisconsin|

Alabama

The Alabama Medicaid Agency (Medicaid)has released several final rules, effective December 14, 2020, regarding Durable Medical Equipment/Prescription Orders, Preferred Drug List, Reimbursement for Covered Drugs and Services. Summaries for the rules are below with links to access each.

Final rule to amend regulations under AAC 560-X-13 to allow additional non-physician practitioners to place an initial written prescription or order for certain medical supplies, equipment, and appliances.
Final rule to amend regulations under AAC 560-X-16 to remove requirements that the clinical pharmacist committee consist of at least one long-term care pharmacist and one independent pharmacist. The rule also allows correspondence to be directed to Medicaid’s authorized representative.
Final rule to amend regulations under AAC 560-X-16 to change the default pharmacy ingredient cost reimbursement methodology when no average acquisition cost is available from wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) +0% to WAC -4% for brand drugs and WAC +0% for generic drugs, effective Jan. 1, 2021.

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

Michael Angeloni2020-11-20T08:53:58-05:00November 20, 2020|Alabama|

California

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has decided to lengthen the transition time to the full implementation of Medi-Cal Rx by three months. All current Medi-Cal prescription drug services DHCS and Medi-Cal processes and protocols will remain unchanged and in place until Medi-Cal Rx launches on April 1, 2021. Questions should be referred to RxCarveOut@dhcs.ca.gov.

Also in California. On November 19, the Board of Pharmacy held a virtual meeting to discuss seeking a waiver allowing technicians to administer all vaccines, rather than just influenza as was adopted by the Board in October. Unfortunately, the vote was 5-6, defeating the motion for full expansion. This issue of administering all vaccines will be returned to the Licensing Committee for further discussion at their next meeting. The Board then amended their original policy to include COVID vaccines to be administered by technicians when they become available and that motion passed with a vote of 8-3. As it stands right now, the California Board of Pharmacy policy supports both temporary waivers and permanent adoption of a statute change allowing pharmacy technicians to administer influenza and COVID vaccines.

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

Michael Angeloni2020-11-20T08:51:41-05:00November 20, 2020|California|