The agenda for the November 5 & 6, 2019 Board of Pharmacy meeting in Sacramento has been posted on-line – https://pharmacy.ca.gov/meetings/agendas/2019/19_nov_bd.pdf 

Also in California… State Senator Jeff Stone, PharmD, announced his resignation from the California State Senate this week where has served since being elected in 2014. As the only pharmacist in the legislature, he served as Vice-Chair of Senate Health Committee and Senate Human Services Committee. 

Also in California… for a limited time period, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Pharmacy Benefits Division will have an online application for the Alternative Payment Option for Pharmacy Retroactive Payment Adjustments. An online form for alternative payment arrangement applications will be open from October 28 through November 22, 2019. The online form will close on November 22, 2019. Applications will not be accepted after that time. Chain pharmacies must complete individual forms specific to each National Provider Identifier (NPI) for which they are seeking this arrangement. Providers may refer to the Pharmacy Reimbursement Project web page of the DHCS website for additional information regarding this project. 

Also in California… during the current state of emergency declared by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) earlier this week, treatment authorization requests (TARs) for medications (new, refill or replacement) will be automatically approved if the TAR indicates that the beneficiary is impacted by fire or by power shutoffs. The situation of being impacted by fire/power shutoff alone will meet the criteria of medical necessity and the TAR will be approved.

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

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) Pharmacy Benefits Division announced that for a limited time period – October 28 through November 22, 2019, DHCS will have an online application for the Alternative Payment Option for Pharmacy Retroactive Payment Adjustments. 

1. Provider mailers were sent out on October 17th to the Pharmacy Providers mailing address. 
2. The October Medi-Cal Pharmacy Bulletin introduced the option and timeframes to the providers – http://files.medi-cal.ca.gov/pubsdoco/bulletins/artfull/ph201910.asp#a1 
3. The Retroactive Claim Adjustment Frequently Asked Questions have also been updated to reflect the new option.  http://files.medi-cal.ca.gov/pubsdoco/ncpdp/Pharmacy_Retroactive_Claim_Adjustments_faq.asp 

Also in California… Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D) appointed Anthony Wright to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) 18-member single-payer health care commission called the “Healthy Californians for All Commission” that is tasked with making health care more affordable, transparent and assessible.  

Additionally in California… Jon R. Roth, MS, CAE, CEO of the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), announced his resignation, effective, January 10, 2020.  Mr. Roth is moving to the Dallas County Medical Society as its Executive Vice President & CEO.

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

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.