The MO HealthNet Pharmacy Help Desk (800-392-8030) has new phone menu sub-options effective November 21, including for early refill or opioid requests and rejections. For additional information, providers can email the Help Desk.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
In an effort to get Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s (D) Administration to include reimbursement to pharmacists for clinical services in the 2020 one-month fiscal session, NACDS provided our in-state partner, the New Mexico Pharmacists Association, with recommendations for an upcoming meeting with David R. Scrase, MD, the Secretary of the Human Services Department.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
On November 1, the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation began reimbursing pharmacies for dispensing a drug disposal system to patients receiving an opioid prescription for the first time in the last 12 months. The Bureau’s October 2019 issue of the Provider eNews includes an overview of the program.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
The Department of Health and Human Services will operate on an updated schedule for Healthy Connections Medicaid claims submission and payments for one week in November 2019 to accommodate the Thanksgiving holiday. Due to this holiday schedule, claims must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 23 to be included with the payment scheduled for Friday, November 29. Payments will run on Monday, November 25 and electronic remittance advices will be available on Tuesday, November 26. Payments will be dated Friday, November 29, as usual. Please refer any questions or concerns regarding this alert to the Provider Service Center at (888) 289-0709.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
As a result of House Joint Resolution 662, the Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) met last week and reviewed a report of policy options for pharmacists scope of practice as it relates to Collaborative Practice Agreements (CPAs), Standing Orders and Statewide Protocols. Unfortunately, the Commission did not adopt the policy recommendations that NACDS advocated for in our two rounds of comment letters submitted to the JCHC. Instead, the Commission adopted the following options to recommend for legislation in the 2020 Regular Session – add independent practice nurse practitioners and physician assistants to the list of practitioners that could be a party to a CPA; and request to the Boards of Pharmacy and Medicine to convene a workgroup to determine if statewide standing orders could be expanded to include other conditions, including CLIA-waived tests.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
Gov. Tony Everts (D) signed into law 2019 Wisconsin Act 24. The enacted legislation authorizes pharmacists to administer ACIP-recommended vaccines to individuals 6 years of age and older under their own independent authority and authorizes pharmacists to administer other vaccines pursuant to a prescription, vaccine protocol or standing order (including vaccines to children younger than 6 years of age pursuant to a prescription issued within 29 days of vaccine administration.)
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
The Department of Medicaid (ODM) announced they will implement a single preferred drug list (PDL) beginning Jan. 1, 2020. The move is one in a series of reforms ODM is planning that are meant to increase transparency in the system for both patients and providers. Click here for the PDL and more information on this and other reforms ODM is considering.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
At the November 5th Board of Pharmacy meeting, pharmacists from NACDS, HEB, Kroger and Walgreens advocated for the Board to adopt a proposed rule to eliminate technician ratios which are currently set at 1:4 for Class A retail community pharmacies. The testimony focused on the lack of evidence regarding safety issues, changing workload demands, and that one size does not fit for all pharmacies. After a lengthy discussion, the Board directed staff to bring both eliminating technician ratios and expanding technician duties issues back for discussion at their May 5, 2020 meeting.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Effective December 2, 2019, the Alabama Medicaid Agency will implement hard edits on cumulative daily MME claims exceeding 200 MME/day. A phase-in period for claims exceeding 150 MME/day, but less than 200 MME/day, will also be implemented. For more information please see the Medicaid Alert dated November 4, 2020.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.