The Board of Pharmacy has developed a plan to allow pharmacist applicants who took the invalidated CPJE to retake the exam, at no cost, on either November 16 at approved out-of-state test centers or on November 17 at in-state test centers.  Information on how to schedule the exam was mailed to applicants. Updated information about the CPJE investigation is posted on the board’s website at CPJE Update – 10/16/19. 

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

The Board of Pharmacy has developed several tools to help pharmacies prepare for inspections. A new online video. (1). To watch the program, visit the board’s website and click the links to go to Licensees > Important Information for Licensees > Ask an Inspector. (2) A new brochure – “Pharmacy Inspections by the California State Board of Pharmacy” – to help licensees understand and prepare for inspections.

Also in California… As part of the “Use, Don’t Abuse” safe disposal of prescription drugs campaign, the Board of Pharmacy is sponsoring billboards statewide with a public service message reminding Californians to safely dispose of unused or unwanted prescription drugs.

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

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.

NACDS and our in-state partner, the California Retailers Association, submitted a joint letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) urging him to sign into law AB 690, legislation that we successfully amended containing a provision allowing a pharmacy damaged or destroyed during a natural disaster to relocate without changing its pharmacy license.

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

The coalition formed by the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), the Community Pharmacy Advocacy Group was notified on August 27 that the Californians for Access to Life-Saving Medicine’s Medi-Cal NADAC court hearing scheduled at the U.S Courthouse in Oakland on Friday, August 30 was cancelled. More than 92 pharmacies had submitted declarations stating how the clawbacks and continued flawed NADAC methodology will affect their pharmacy operations and patient access. Next step is that the court is expected to issue a written decision.

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

On August 12, the State Board of Pharmacy adopted a new email listserv called News and Information that will send subscribers notifications about board and committee meetings, board activities, rulemakings, new laws and regulations, press releases, consumer tips and other general news and information. To sign up, visit the Board of Pharmacy Email Registration page on the Board’s website.

Also in California… The State Board of Pharmacy has created a new guide called Pharmacy Inspections by the California State Board of Pharmacy” to help licensees understand and prepare for Board inspections. The brochure lists all documents that pharmacies are required to have readily available for inspectors to review.

Also in California… The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is hosting a second Medi-Cal Rx Pharmacy Carve Out Advisory Group meeting on Thursday, September 26 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pacific in the DHCS Auditorium at 1500 Capitol Avenue in Sacramento. The purpose of this second meeting is to facilitate further discussion, increase community awareness, share additional details around various topics necessary for the effective implementation of Medi-Cal Rx and provide an ongoing forum for stakeholder feedback to help further inform implementation efforts. Those unable to join in person can listen in by pre-registering for the webinar.  For questions or comments, please email DHCS.

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

Last week, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) held a webinar to lay out DHCS’s plan to transition all Medi-Cal pharmacy services from managed care to fee-for-service by Friday, January 1, 2021. The slides outline the pharmacy carve-out policy and estimated fiscal savings for the state. More information can be found on DHCS’ homepage.

Also in California… During its recent meeting, the Board of Pharmacy took the following actions. Acting President Greg Lippe announced the resignation Victor Law, RPh, the Board’s president, and new officers will be elected at the next meeting on Friday, September 13. The board also voted to begin rulemaking to add new rules on compounding of nonsterile preparations, such as flavorings, and to proceed with rulemaking on community pharmacy staffing (B&P Section 4113.5 /SB 1442, Statutes of 2018).

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

The Board of Pharmacy is disseminating information that pharmacies are eligible to receive free drug take-back bins and paid disposal service through a federally funded program intended to combat the opioid epidemic and reduce the misuse of medications. The California Statewide Drug Take-Back Program is expected to expand options for consumers to safely dispose of unused, unwanted or expired medications – including controlled substances – for humans and pets. The program is funded by the state Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and administered by the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC). California licensed pharmacies, hospitals and other agencies approved by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration can apply to receive free collection bins. The program will pay for the cost of the bins, disposal service through 2020, technical assistance and promotion of bin locations. More information, including a program FAQ sheet and instructions on how to apply for a drug take-back bin, is available on the California Statewide Drug Take-Back Program website.

Also in California… In advance of the July 24 Board of Pharmacy meeting, NACDS and the California Retailers Association sent a letter expressing our concerns regarding the proposed regulations related to the “no pharmacist left alone” bill passed last session. (B&P Section 4113.5 /SB 1442, Statutes of 2018).

Also in California… Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) continues to move forward with the implementation of an Executive Order to take on high prescription drug costs. The DHCS announced this week that they will soon begin accepting proposals to implement a significant component of the state’s prescription drug purchasing plan. Under the proposal, DHCS will be transitioning Medi-Cal pharmacy services from its contracted managed care plans to its directly negotiated fee-for-service system, thereby purchasing on behalf of 13 million enrollees, as opposed to the current 2 million.

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

NACDS and the California Retailers Association (CRA) submitted a letter urging Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to sign AB 1803, clean-up legislation delaying the implementation of AB 315 (Chapter #905, 2018) and AB 2863 (Chapter #770, 2018) until Wednesday, January 1, 2020. Subsequently, the Gov. Newsom signed the bill into law on July 12, effective immediately. This law will provide pharmacies and health plans the time they need to set up their contracts and computer systems to allow for the cash price information to be shared effectively and efficiently when a patient chooses to pay retail price for the drug because it is cheaper. The patient can then have that amount deducted from their health plan’s required deductible.

Also in California… In response to CalRecycle’s draft regulatory text implementing SB 212 (Chapter #1004, 2018), the drug take-back and sharps law, NACDS and CRA submitted a letter detailing our concerns with the draft language. We will continue to monitor and participate in the rulemaking process.

Also in California… In response to the lawsuit filed last month by the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) through the Californians for Access to Life-Saving Medicine, the Department of Health Care Services agreed to temporarily stop the Medi-Cal retroactive recoupments on June 14. The agreement came as the attorneys for CPhA and Deputy Attorney General (who represents the State) negotiated over the court hearing date for the judge to consider the motion for a preliminary injunction. With this agreement, CPhA has withdrawn its request for the court to consider the preliminary injunction on the shortened timeframe of July 12. Therefore, the hearing will now occur on Friday, August 30.

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