The Board of Pharmacy will not begin enforcing USP Chapter <800> on Sunday, December 1. The Board will discuss the effective date of updated compounding rules that require adherence to USP <800> at its November meeting.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
The Prescription Monitoring Program’s Interagency Advisory Committee Group will meet on Tuesday, October 15 to discuss implementing certain requirements in several new laws, including setting standards for waivers from the electronic prescription requirements in HB 2174.
Also in Texas… In response to a request from the State Board of Pharmacy, NACDS submitted comments identifying issues that the Board should address as it works to develop its Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2021 through 2025. Among these issues, NACDS urged the Board to implement policy changes that expand the scope of services that pharmacists can provide to Texans, optimize the use of pharmacy technicians, enable pharmacies to utilize new technologies and implement innovate practices to better serve their patients and to address other burdensome provisions in the existing rules and regulations.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
NACDS submitted comments to the Joint Commission on Health Care related to the Commission’s ongoing study on the expansion of pharmacist authority through statewide protocols, standing orders and collaborative practice agreements. This opportunity is in alignment with NACDS’ Scope of Business campaign for Track 1 states to expand pharmacists’ scope of practice and payment/coverage within the state. The Commission is finalizing its report early this fall.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced that they have an alternative Medi-Cal recoupment process for pharmacies meeting certain criteria. Any pharmacy interested in applying for the alternative repayment process will have to do so via an online portal between Monday, October 28 and Friday, November 22. DHCS will be posting FAQs online in October. For providers who do not seek alternative repayment, the recoupments will resume in March 2020. To calculate repayment for pharmacies that choose not to do the alternative payment process, pharmacies can take the amount of the recoupment that occurred after the first iteration and multiple that by 22.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Effective September 21, the pharmacy technician–to–pharmacist ratio increased from 3:1 to 4:1. The Board of Pharmacy still has a mechanism in place for pharmacies to request a waiver from the Board for additional technicians by providing a utilization plan.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
Effective Tuesday, October 1, IngenioRx, Inc. (IngenioRx) will begin to administer the prescription benefits for Simply Healthcare of Florida Inc. (Simply) Comprehensive Plan and Clear Health Alliance Specialty Plans. Members may be transitioned to a network pharmacy with IngenioRx that continues to meet member access requirements.
Providers that are out of network as of Tuesday, October 1 will be eligible for a 60-day continuity of care period where claims will be payable to allow time for members to transition to a new pharmacy, if necessary. All members were notified of this transition by mail on August 2. The continuity of care period ends on Saturday, November 30.
The pharmacy claim processing information to IngenioRx for Simply Comprehensive Plan and Clear Health Alliance Specialty Plan is noted below:
RXBIN: 020107
RXPCN: CH
RXGRP: WK3A
Member ID Format: 11-14 digits
For questions regarding future network or contract related inquiries, call IngenioRx at 1-833-235-2030.
Prior to Tuesday, October 1, providers may contact Simply Provider Services for eligibility or prior authorization questions at 1-877-577-9044.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
The Illinois Collaborative Pharmaceutical Care Task Force submitted its recommendations to the General Assembly as required by Public Act 100-0497. That will inform future efforts to update the Practice Act.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
Effective September 15, Medicaid Fee-for-Service (FFS) Pharmacy Program began reimbursing enrolled pharmacies for influenza vaccines and administration of the vaccines for Medicaid recipients who are nineteen years of age and older when the administering pharmacist is an enrolled Medicaid provider. The cost of the vaccine will not be reimbursed for recipients under the age of nineteen as these vaccines are available through the Louisiana Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. If Medicaid FFS is billed for a recipient 18 years of age or younger, only the administration fee will be reimbursed for these recipients.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed an Executive Order to create a Michigan Opioids Task Force within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.