To help overcome vaccine hesitancy amongst the Medicaid population, effective for 60 days beginning on Friday, August 13th through October 10, 2021, the state will pay all providers $100 for each COVID shot administered. The increase applies to both first and second vaccination administration of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and single shot administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccination.    

https://www.nacds.org/ceo/2021/0820/Arkansas%20Medicaid%20Vaccine%20Rate%20Increase.pdf.                               

Also in Arkansas, the 93rd General Assembly three-day special session to debate amending Act 1002, a statewide ban on mask mandates implemented earlier this year. Two bills were filed, but neither the House nor Senate took any action to overturn the mask mandate law before they adjourned on August 6th. 

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

Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) convened a special session on August 4th to possibly amend a law passed earlier this year banning statewide mask mandates (Act 1002). Specifically, the Governor is asking the Legislature to create an exemption that will give public school boards flexibility to issue mask mandates to protect school children who are under 12 years old and are not eligible for a vaccine. Hutchinson reiterated that there will not be a statewide mask mandate. A second item added to the call was for the legislature to affirm the decision made by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Service to end the state’s participation in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), Pandemic Extended Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) programs that was paying unemployed workers $300 a week to stay home.

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

The Department of Human Services issued two new proposed rules:

• Proposed rule amending Medicaid provider regulations to remove references to the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, Inc. as the vendor used for approval, denial, or extension of Medicaid benefits.
• Proposed rule amending regulations to revise the Pharmacy Provider Manual to update the Place of Service Code to “01,” effective for dates of service on August 1, 2021.

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

On May 30, Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) officially ended the public health emergency which has been in place since March 11, 2020.

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

Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) signed into law SB 505/Act 651 legislation requiring prescribers to co-prescribe an opioid antagonist to patients under certain conditions: (1) dosage is equal to or above 50MME per day; (2) benzodiazepine has been prescribed or will be prescribed at the same time as the opioid; and (3) the patient has a history of drug abuse or a drug overdose.

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

NACDS and the Arkansas Grocers and Retail Merchants Association submitted a joint letter to the House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee urging the committee members to strongly oppose HB 1945 by Rep. Wooten.  HB 1945, filed on April 19th would establish discriminatory restrictions on pharmacy ownership and prohibit chain pharmacies from operating pharmacy locations throughout Arkansas. The bill was heard in committee on April 22 and was pulled down and referred to further consideration after the session during the interim study. The legislature is scheduled to adjourn by April 30, 2021.

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

The Division of Pharmacy Services issued a final rule effective April 16 adding six opioid substances, four depressants, and two synthetic cathinones to Schedule I. The rule also adds three opioid analgesics to Schedule II, three mood-altering substances to Schedule IV, two substances to Schedule V and modifies Schedule VI removing FDA-approved cannabidiol substances from Schedule V.

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

In addition to the three bills signed last week, a fourth bill NACDS supported expanding pharmacies’ scope of practice was signed into law. HB 1246/Act 503 allows pharmacists to screen and prescribe medications for flu and strep under a written statewide protocol approved by the Board of Pharmacy and Medicine.

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

• HB 1134/Act 406 by pharmacist Rep. Justin Boyd (R) allows Arkansas pharmacists the ability to prescribe and administer all vaccines and immunizations to anyone 3 years of age and older. If pharmacists administer either the flu or COVID vaccine to a patient that is 3-6 years old, then the pharmacist must participate in the Vaccines for Children program and inform adult caregivers of the importance of a well-child visit.
• HB 1135/Act 407 also by pharmacist Rep. Justin Boyd allows Arkansas pharmacy technicians to administer vaccines and immunizations to a person 3 years of age or older if delegated by a supervising pharmacist; pharmacy technicians may not administer other medications.
• HB 1069/Act 408 allows Arkansas pharmacists with proper training to be defined by the Board of Pharmacy to initiate therapy and administer or dispense contraceptives under a statewide protocol.

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