In The States – Page 371 – Weekly news about states

Mississippi

On October 1, the Division of Medicaid (DOM) began requiring an FDA-approved indication or compendia-supported indication for each stimulant prescription. It has come to DOM’s attention that the MississippiCAN pharmacy claims systems do not interface with the medical claims systems and may not be able to perform a search for diagnoses in the past 24 months of medical claims. The fee-for-service system is capable of performing this look-back function. To ensure that stimulant prescriptions process without delay or the need for prior authorization, DOM advises providers to write the diagnosis and ICD-10 code on each of their patient’s ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) prescriptions. Pharmacy providers must then enter the ICD-10 code on prescription claims. A list of FDA-approved or compendia-supported indications covered by DOM, along with corresponding ICD-10 codes, can be found on DOM’s Pharmacy Resource webpage.

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

Karen White2018-10-26T10:26:22-04:00October 25, 2018|Mississippi|

Missouri

Gov. Michael L. Parson (R) named Rep. Todd Richardson (R), currently Speaker of the House, to become Medicaid Director effective Thursday, November 1. Speaker Richardson will be replaced by House Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr (R), who was already selected to succeed Speaker Richardson in 2019 but will assume the interim speaker role in the meantime.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Karen White2018-10-26T10:06:09-04:00October 25, 2018|Missouri|

Pennsylvania

This week, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) signed two pharmacy-backed bills into law, including HB 353 and HB 270. HB 353 requires e-prescribing for all controlled substances effective one year from the date of governor’s signing on October 28. Wolf also signed HB 270, which expands income guidelines for the Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE) program, estimated to make an additional 14,500 senior citizens eligible for the PACENET pharmacy benefit. NACDS participated in negotiations with the Wolf Administration that resulted in an amendment to the bill that would allow retail pharmacies to perform medication synchronization for PACE beneficiaries and includes a provision that allows for a pro-rated co-pay and requires the payment of the full dispensing fee for partial fills to synchronized medications.

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

Karen White2018-10-26T10:03:52-04:00October 25, 2018|Pennsylvania|

Iowa

Effective Saturday, December 1, the Medicaid pharmacy copayment for prescriptions drugs and refills will be $1.00 regardless of a drug’s status on the Preferred Drug List. For more information, please contact Harry Rossander at the Department of Human Service Bureau of Policy Coordination or NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Karen White2018-10-23T14:00:13-04:00October 18, 2018|Iowa|

Michigan

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a letter to providers with information about its enforcement of certain dispensing limits on opioids designed to align with safe prescribing guidelines and statutory requirements.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Karen White2018-10-23T13:55:35-04:00October 18, 2018|Michigan|

Missouri

The Board of Pharmacy is holding its final Patient Safety and Compliance Seminar of the year on Tuesday, October 23 in Columbia. Visit the website for additional details and online registration.

Also in Missouri… the Board launched “Rx Cares for Missouri,” a community public awareness program promoting medication safety. The campaign highlights appropriate ways to take prescription medication, tips for talking with a pharmacist, recognizing the effects and signs of prescription drug misuse, avoiding medication mistakes and proper medication disposal. The campaign will also bring awareness about services provided by pharmacists such as medication management and counseling, medication review and assessment, developing medication treatment plans, administering vaccines and other prescribed medication and monitoring and evaluating the patient’s response to therapy to increase medication outcomes.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Karen White2018-10-23T13:52:55-04:00October 18, 2018|Missouri|

Pennsylvania

HB 353, requiring all controlled substances to be prescribed electronically is on its way to Gov. Tom Wolf (D) for his signature. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Tedd Nesbit (R), passed both the House and Senate unanimously. It will be effective one year after it is signed. NACDS thanks Rep. Nesbit and Sen. Richard Alloway II (R) for their leadership on this issue and the Pennsylvania Association of Chain Drug Stores for its on-the-ground advocacy.

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

Karen White2018-10-23T13:49:37-04:00October 18, 2018|Pennsylvania|

California

As required by AB 40 that was signed into law last year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) established a method of system integration whereby approved healthcare practitioners and pharmacists may use a qualified health information technology system to access information in the CURES database. This week, DOJ launched the CURES Information Exchange Web Service (IEWS), creating a webpage that provides instructions on how to sign up.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

Karen White2018-10-12T09:30:00-04:00October 11, 2018|California|

Colorado

NACDS submitted comments to the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) on proposed rules pertaining to the reporting requirements for payers submitting data to the All-Payers Claims Database. In our letter, we asked that a pharmacy’s reimbursement be based on the services provided, not in any way be tied to or negatively impact a pharmacy’s reimbursement (product and/or dispensing fees) for prescription drugs.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

Karen White2018-10-12T09:27:32-04:00October 11, 2018|Colorado|