The Insurance Department issued a Bulletin reminding all licensed PBMs that they are not allowed to charge pharmacies fees during credentialing or re-credentialing. Further, the Commissioner advised the PBM (Pharmacy Benefit Manager) industry that they may not charge a fee related to claims processing unless approved by the Commissioner.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Test & Treat Protocols for both strep and flu were finally approved by the Arkansas Medical Board in August. Previously, these rules were approved by the Pharmacy Board in June. Act 503 passed in 2021 authorized Arkansas pharmacists to test, screen, and treat patients for influenza and pharyngitis caused by streptococcus A within the framework of a written statewide protocol. Arkansas pharmacists may develop their own policies and procedures and begin offering the service, and bill for these services utilizing their own NPI number.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
New rules on therapeutic substitutions were adopted by the Board of Pharmacy, effective May 10, 2022.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Rules allowing pharmacist therapeutic substitution went into effect as of May 10, 2022. Pharmacists whose practice is located within the State of Arkansas may substitute medications for therapeutically equivalent medications unless the prescriber indicates that no substitution is to be made or if the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy has determined that a therapeutically equivalent product should not be substituted and has notified all pharmacists of that determination.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced a lawsuit against drug manufacturers and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) for manipulating and inflating insulin and drug prices in Arkansas. In the complaint filed in Pulaski County, Attorney General Rutledge alleges that Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and Eli Lilly conspired with Express Scripts, Caremark and Optum to significantly increase their revenues by unfairly and deceptively driving up the costs of insulin, making insulin, and other diabetic treatments unaffordable for many diabetics in Arkansas and creating an enormous financial burden for Arkansas consumers.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) appointed Jennifer Dillaha, M.D., as Director of the Department of Health. Since 2001, she has worked at the Department of Health leading the Agency’s health promotion efforts focused on population-based interventions to improve the health and well-being of all Arkansans. The Governor also appointed Renee Mallory, RN, BSN to the position as interim Secretary of Health.
Also in Arkansas, the Department of Human Services Medicaid established a provider portal to accept applications for new providers as an individual practitioner so that pharmacists can order, render, and prescribe with the applicable CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) documentation. Recent legislation passed gave authority to pharmacists to test for flu and strep as well, along with other prescribing authority.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Effective April 1, 2022, Medicaid began accepting applications for new providers as individual practitioners. Pharmacists that intend to be an Ordering, Rendering, and Prescribing (ORP) provider for pharmacy and medical claim billing, must enroll with Arkansas Medicaid. Applications may be submitted to the Provider Portal. For more information, contact the Provider Assistance Center at (501) 376-2211.
Also in Arkansas, Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) appointed Jennifer Dillaha, M.D., as Director of the Department of Health. Since 2001, she has worked at the Department of Health leading the Agency’s health promotion efforts focused on population-based interventions to improve the health and well-being of all Arkansans. The Governor also appointed Renee Mallory, RN, BSN to the position as interim Secretary of Health.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) announced that the Secretary of Health Dr. Jose Romero is resigning on May 6th to take a job with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Since methamphetamine is currently the states’ greatest drug threat, the Department of Human Services (DHS) launched the “Me Over Meth” prevention campaign.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.