The Reeves Administration has announced temporary Medicaid changes in response to coronavirus outbreak. Additional information on policies, coding, and reimbursement related to the COVID-19 outbreak will continue to be added to a resource page on the agency’s website at https://medicaid.ms.gov/coronavirus-updates/.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
After receiving authority from Missouri, Gov. Mike Parson’s (R) Executive Order to address regulatory burdens impeding response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Board of Pharmacy has waived a number of regulations, which can be found on a dedicated web page, along with materials from this week’s webinar. The Missouri Pharmacy Association is hosting another webinar (open to non-members) on Friday, March 27, 2020 at 12 pm.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
NACDS participated on a conference call earlier this week hosted by the Department of Health answering questions posed by chain and independent pharmacists about COVID19 response.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Governor Steve Sisolak (D) signed an emergency regulation promulgated by the Board of Pharmacy aimed at preventing hoarding of the drugs. The regulation prohibits the prescribing and dispensing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for a COVID-19 diagnosis, requires an ICD-10 code on prescriptions for the drugs and limits the prescription amount to a 30-day supply for the drugs.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Gov. Doug Burgum (R) directed state agencies to provide recommendations for policies hindering response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In another Executive Order, he directed pharmacy benefit management companies to eliminate proof of delivery requirements; authorized license pharmacists to administer COVID-19 testing; and authorized emergency refills of non-controlled substances for up to 30 days. The Department of Human Services has created a Medicaid pharmacy document of Frequently Asked Questions.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
The Board of Pharmacy has issued an emergency rule, effective March 22nd, on the dispensing of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. For an FAQ on this issue and other COVID-19 related guidance issued by the board, visit their website.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
NACDS submitted comments to the State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBNDD) on proposed rule changes pertaining to the information that pharmacies are required to report to Oklahoma’s prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP). The letter recommended that the data pharmacies are required to report should be limited to information that is required to be on a controlled substance prescription and/or required to process third party claims. NACDS also commented that costly software changes would be needed for pharmacy dispensing and management computer systems to accommodate the reporting of added data elements.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
NACDS submitted a formal request to the Oregon Board of Pharmacy asking them to delay enforcement of Senate Bill 698 – Translation labelling – Until July 2022. The Board has not developed rules for implementation, delaying members’ ability to work with IT for changes that will be needed to label prescriptions in English and the patient’s preferred language.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
Gov. Tom Wolf (D) has announced new measures allowing healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, to re-enter the workforce to assist with the COVID-19 crisis. Specifically, pharmacists whose licenses are expired/inactive for less than four years can apply for reactivation of their licenses. Their CE requirements and license reactivation fees will be suspended. For previous pharmacy related actions in PA go to: https://www.dos.pa.gov/Documents/2020-03-21-Pharmacy-Omnibus-Requirement-Suspension.pdf
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.