South Carolina

Gov. Henry McMaster (R) announced that renewal deadlines for several professional licenses administered through the SC Dept of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) will be extended until September 30, 2020.  This includes licenses and permits issued by the SC Board of Pharmacy and further extends the previous deadline extensions provided in the Board Order issued March 23rd. 

Also in South Carolina... NACDS participated in a South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) webinar which updated Healthy Connections Medicaid providers on the agency’s response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). During the webinar, SCDHHS leadership provided a brief overview of actions the agency has already taken to provide additional flexibilities to providers and Healthy Connections Medicaid members and discussed additional ongoing and planned efforts as well as addressed questions submitted by providers. A copy of the presentation can be found here.

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

2020-04-16T09:16:46-04:00April 16, 2020|South Carolina|

Virginia

Physician-Governor Ralph Northam (R) signed HB 1506, a bill that was a priority in NACDS’ Scope of Business Campaign. The new law requires the development of statewide protocols for pharmacists to use to provide a wide range of services including contraceptives, epinephrine, prenatal vitamins, dietary fluoride supplements and prescription medications when the patient’s copay or cost-sharing is less than the cost of the equivalent over-the-counter drug. It also requires the Board of Pharmacy, the Board of Medicine and the Department of Health to convene a workgroup to make recommendations on further statewide protocols allowing pharmacists to administer additional vaccines, provide tobacco cessation therapy and pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and perform simple CLIA-waived testing and tuberculosis testing, and over-the-counter drugs that require a prescription by the patient’s health insurance provider.

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

2020-04-16T09:13:23-04:00April 16, 2020|Virginia|

Alabama

 Alabama Medicaid has extended all expiration dates for temporary allowances to April 30, 2020. This alert and other related updates can be found at the Agency COVID-19 page here. 

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

2020-04-09T09:08:07-04:00April 9, 2020|Alabama|

Indiana

Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) issued an emergency executive order last week that included increasing the pharmacy technician ratio from 6:1 to 8:1, suspension of the direct supervision provisions to permit technicians to work remotely, and one-time 90-day refills.

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

2020-04-09T09:06:38-04:00April 9, 2020|Indiana|

Kentucky

The Department of Insurance announced guidance on the suspension of pharmacy audits during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Department recognized the role of pharmacists in providing essential healthcare services during the current state of emergency and the need to ease operational barriers in order to allow pharmacists to focus on providing those services. Consequently, audits of pharmacy records performed in accordance with KRS 304.17A-740 through KRS 304.17A-747 have been temporarily suspended.

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

2020-04-09T09:05:21-04:00April 9, 2020|Kentucky|

Maryland

NACDS successfully advocated for a policy change in Maryland Medicaid that makes it easier and safer for pharmacies to make home deliveries during the COVID-19 crisis. Originally, Maryland Medicaid released guidance on home deliveries that required pharmacies to confirm deliveries by making a follow-up communication with the patient. After NACDS contacted Maryland Medicaid on how difficult this process would be to comply with in the midst of the current health care crisis, NACDS’ recommendation to accept a “COVID-19” notation in the patient record as confirmation was accepted, and the policy changed. 

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

2020-04-09T09:04:02-04:00April 9, 2020|Maryland|

Mississippi

All permitted facilities are required to take an annual inventory of all controlled substances on hand on or about May 1 but no later than May 15. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Mississippi Board of Pharmacy is granting an extension until July 1st for the annual inventory. Pharmacies that routinely conduct the annual inventory on a different date are expected to conduct the inventory during that same period this year

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

2020-04-09T09:02:23-04:00April 9, 2020|Mississippi|

New York

Effective April 3, 2020, the New York State budget has been finalized.  The total spending package is reduced from the Governor’s initial proposal and attempts to address the growing budget deficit that the State is experiencing from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the collateral impact it is having on the state economy, which the Comptroller has said could total $15 billion. The final budget items of interest of community pharmacy are:  

  • Shift Pharmacy Benefit to FFS: Includes language stating that it is in the best interest of the Medicaid program/patients to move the pharmacy benefit from Medicaid Managed Care back to Fee for Service and Department of Health (DOH) has the administrative authority to do so.  DOH shall not implement the transition sooner than April 1, 2021 and upon federal approval.  DOH is authorized to establish uniform standards, payment policies and reimbursement methodologies based on actual acquisition costs and professional dispensing fee. DOH is required to convene an advisory group of stakeholder representatives for the purposes of providing non-binding recommendations to the department by 10/1/20 on available methods of achieving savings beginning on and after 4/1/21. 
  • Extend Immunizer Law: Extends the sunset date on NY’s pharmacist immunizer law two years to July 1, 2022 (despite our strong advocacy efforts we could not achieve expansion this session); 
  • Bans the sale of tobacco/vaping products in pharmacies (including pharmacies as departments within stores) effective July 1, 2020; and 
  • ATB Cuts: As part of MRT 2 and as published yesterday in a Public Notice by NYSDOH in the State Register for intent to file a SPA, it is our understanding that the state intends to increase the across the board Medicaid provider cut from 1% enacted 1/1/20 to 1.875% effective 4/1/20 (this can be done administratively and with federal approval). More details to follow.

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

2020-04-09T09:00:55-04:00April 9, 2020|New York|

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