Medicaid has posted the slides from the June 2021 Medicaid Quarterly Pharmacy Forum. The slides include information on several items of importance to pharmacy including participation in the District Addiction Consultation Service Program (DACS) and changes to the billing procedure for pharmacy-based HIV treatment. Also, the slides include a reminder that pharmacists are required to query the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program under certain circumstances, under a 2020 law that was effective on March 16, 2021.

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

Pharmacists will be able to provide and bill for substance abuse disorder services beginning July 1 under Medicaid’s new District Addiction Consultation Services (DACS) program. More information will be available soon on this webpage by clicking on “Provider Portal” then “Quarterly Pharmacy Forum” under the “Frequently Requested Documents” tab and choosing the June meeting PowerPoint presentation.

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

Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) signed B24-257 to allow emergency refills under certain conditions. The bill was introduced and passed as a “gap filler” between the expiration of the previous emergency amendment act, B24- 139, and B24-140 as it will be under Congressional Review for another 2 weeks before becoming law.

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

As a result of NACDS’ efforts with other partner organizations, the DC Department of Health has published a revised concurrent and emergency rule governing COVID-19 testing by pharmacies. The revised rule which was effective April 1, now allows: off-site testing, pharmacy technicians to perform testing, is consistent with the CDC’s guidelines for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and no longer requires testing by appointment only.

Also in the District of Columbia,  Legislation permitting pharmacists to refill medications before the expiration of the waiting period between refills has passed the Council and sent to Mayor Bowser (D) for signature. This measure allows pharmacists to authorize and dispense medication refills before the expiration of the waiting period between refills under protocols issued by the Board of Pharmacy and the Board of Medicine.

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

Effective April 2021, HIV post-exposure (PEP) and Pre-exposure (PrEP) treatment for MCO beneficiaries will be carved out of managed care. Claims should be submitted through the Magellan POS system.

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

The Department of Health published a final rule amending regulations to waive the requirement for pharmacists to complete 10 continuing education (CE) credits through live in-person courses for the licensure period ending February 28. The rule, which allows pharmacists to meet CE requirements through online courses, is in response to the COVID pandemic. The rule became effective on February 26.

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