The Board of Pharmacy will be meeting in Reno on Wednesday and Thursday, June 6 and 7. Two public hearings—related to prescription readers and practitioner access to the Prescription Monitoring Program database and related to prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances for treatment of pain—will also be held on Thursday, June 7.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Effective Sunday, July 1, all pharmacies participating in the TennCare or CoverKids pharmacy program must have a valid TennCare issued Medicaid ID. Failure to obtain a valid Medicaid ID may result in rejected claims and disqualification as a provider for these networks. This requirement applies to MagellanRX and Express Scripts and any subsequent pharmacy benefits manager for TennCare or CoverKids. Pharmacies that need a Medicaid ID are required to register through the TennCare electronic registration portal.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
This week, Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) signed into law SB 18-022 that includes a seven–day opioid prescribing limit.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
The state legislature adjourned after passage of SB 197 (Public Act No. 18-74), permitting substitution of interchangeable biologic products, and SB 246 (Public Act No. 18-77), directing the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services to make recommendations for automatic fills in the Medicaid fee-for-service program. The legislature rejected a proposal requiring the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program database be checked each time an opioid is filled and also rejected a proposal prohibiting prescriptions of Narcan® (an opioid antagonist) to a family member. With the entire legislature up for re-elections, controversial budget issues were punted until after the election.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed into law SF 2322 into law, effective 90 days after adjournment, containing a wide-ranging provisions impacting community pharmacy. The bill authorizes the Board of Pharmacy to develop statewide protocols for naloxone, nicotine replacement products and immunizations. Once the statewide protocol for immunizations takes effect, pharmacists will have independent authority to provide immunizations, meaning a local protocol or a prescription from a physician is no longer required. Pharmacists will be able to administer flu vaccines to patients age six months of age and older (currently eighteen years and above, except in public health emergencies). Pursuant to a protocol to be developed by the Board in consultation with the Department of Public Health, pharmacists will be able to administer the final two doses of HPV vaccination to patients eleven years of age and older. The law also permits technician product verification in the community and hospital settings, charging the Board of Pharmacy with issuing rules for implementation. NACDS acknowledges the Iowa Pharmacy Association for its leadership and advocacy efforts to enact this legislation.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
The Department of Health has been working towards developing a single preferred drug list (PDL) to be used for both the Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) and the Medicaid managed care (MCO) programs, thereby replacing the six different Medicaid drug lists currently in use. Comments on the draft PDL will be accepted via email before Thursday, May 31.
Also in Louisiana…On May 22, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) convened a two-week special session to address a $648 million budget deficit. This is the sixth special session the Governor has called in the past two years. A balanced budget must be enacted by the start of the next fiscal year on Sunday, July 1.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
NACDS joined the Chain Pharmacy Association of New York State and New York pharmacy community to talk with key state legislators during a lobby day focused on drug take back initiatives. Currently, there are several pending legislative proposals in both the Assembly and the Senate. It remains unclear which of these proposals will advance.
Also in New York…NACDS attended the recent meeting of the New York State Board of Pharmacy. During the meeting, Surescripts led a discussion on the quality improvements in electronic prescribing as part of its prescription accuracy initiatives. Also, several board members suggested a discussion of supervising pharmacists’ roles, requirements and responsibilities as a topic for a future meeting.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
HB 4117, sponsored by Rep. Phyllis Henderson (R), was signed by Gov. Henry McMaster (R) on May 18 and was effective immediately. This measure allows drug control to provide data in the prescription monitoring program to the presiding judge of a drug court pertaining to a specific case involving a designated person.
Also in South Carolina…HB 3826, sponsored by Rep. Chip Huggins (R), was signed by Gov. Henry McMaster (R) on May 17. Effective 60 days after signing, this measure requires all prescriptions for Schedule II through V controlled substances to be written on tamper-resistant prescription pads, unless transmitted by fax, orally or electronically.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
SB 2362, sponsored by Sen. Rusty Crowe (R), was signed by Gov. Bill Haslam (R) on May 21. Effective immediately, this measure specifies that a pharmacy or pharmacist has the right to provide an insured information regarding the amount of the insured’s cost share for a prescription drug. The measure prohibits a pharmacy or a pharmacist from being penalized by a pharmacy benefits manager for discussing such information or for selling a lower priced drug to the insured if one is available.
Also in Tennessee…SB 777, sponsored by Sen. Ed Jackson (R), was signed by Gov. Bill Haslam (R) on May 21. This measure makes several changes related to prescribing and dispensing of buprenorphine.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.