The Iowa Pharmacy Association, in coordination with the Iowa Medical Society (IMS), Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Iowa Hospital Association (IHA), and the Iowa Primary Care Association (Iowa PCA), leads the Iowa Healthcare Workforce Strategic Planning and Stakeholder Engagement Initiative.

Iowa communities are facing challenges recruiting and retaining across the healthcare workforce population. These partner organizations are working together to assess and evaluate the current landscape and future of the healthcare workforce in Iowa. From these meetings, the statewide action plan will evolve to address current workforce challenges and opportunities.

Over the next few months, regional meetings will be held across the state. All locations will have two sessions available in the day (either 9:00 am – 11:00 am or 1:00 pm – 3:00pm). Click the following links to register.

Upcoming regional townhall meetings: 
Des Moines on Friday, April 28th
Waterloo on Wednesday, May 10th  

Also in Iowa, the Department of Health and Human Services published the following:  

• INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2443-MC-FFS – Monkeypox Vaccine and Testing
  INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2446-MC-FFS – Provider Messaging and the Continuous Coverage Requirement Unwind
  INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2445-MC-FFS-CVD – Monoclonal Antibodies Update 
• INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2434-MC-FFS – COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE Unwind – Out-of-Network Enhanced Provider Payment Expiring 
• INFORMATION LETTER NO. 2426-MC-FFS-CVD – End of COVID-19 PHE Pharmacy Allowances 
• INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2432-MC-FFS – End of Federal PHE Flexibilities 

 Finally in Iowa, the Board of Pharmacy posted the agenda and related materials for its May 2 meeting. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

The Board of Pharmacy adopted ARC 6953C, implementing relevant provisions in 2022 Iowa Acts, HFs 771, 2573 and 2169. These amendments implement changes related to licensed nurses engaging in the practice of nursing pursuant to a pharmacist’s order and the issuance of a prescription in the name of a school district to obtain a bronchodilator canister, a bronchodilator canister and spacer, or an opioid antagonist. 

Also in Iowa, the Department of Health and Human Services published INFORMATION LETTER NO. 2426-MC-FFS-CVD_End of COVID-19 PHE Pharmacy Allowances that includes the following:  

1. Override for Early Refills/Refill Too Soon 
2. Days’ Supply 
3. PBM or Program Integrity (PI) Audits 
4. Patient Signature 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

The Department of Health and Human Services published INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2428-MC-FFS with April 2023 Iowa Medicaid Pharmacy Program Changes related to the following: 

1. New Drug Prior Authorization (PA) Criteria 
2. Changes to Existing PA Criteria 
3. Removal of PA Criteria 
4. Point-of-Sale Billing Updates 
5. DUR [Drug Utilization Review] Update 

Also in Iowa, effective April 1, the Department of Health, and Human Services (Iowa HHS) will no longer require positive COVID-19 tests to be reported to the state Public Health Division. Since the development and widespread availability of rapid in-home tests – which are not required to be reported – the case and positive test counts in the state are no longer as meaningful as they once were. Iowa has no mandatory reporting order for any other respiratory viral illnesses such as influenza, RSV, and rhinovirus. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

The Board of Pharmacy announced the following effective March 15: 

• ARC 6843C has been adopted and amends Chapter 10, “Controlled Substances” placing one substance into Schedule I of the Iowa Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in alignment with . 
• ARC 6844C has been adopted and amends Chapter 37, “Iowa Prescription Monitoring Program” establishing council membership information for the PMP Advisory Council and clarifying that only overdoes-reversal opioid antagonists are required to be submitted to the PMP.  

Also in Iowa, the Board of Pharmacy issued a “Notice of Intended Action” related to ARC 6874C amending Chapter 10, “Controlled Substances,” and Chapter 12, “Precursor Substances.” This proposed rulemaking temporarily adds four substances to Schedule I, excludes one substance from Schedule II and adds one substance as a precursor substance to the Iowa CSA in alignment with response to similar action taken by the DEA ARC 6874C amending Chapter 10, “Controlled Substances,” and Chapter 12, “Precursor Substances.” This proposed rulemaking temporarily adds four substances to Schedule I, excludes one substance from Schedule II and adds one substance as a precursor substance to the Iowa CSA in alignment with DEA’s action. Comments may be submitted until 4:30 p.m. on February 28. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

NACDS and the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy NACDS submitted a comment letter to the Iowa Division of Insurance suggesting modifications which would limit the definition of “specialty drugs.” 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed Executive Order Number 10 placing a moratorium on administrative rulemaking and initiating a comprehensive review of all existing administrative rules, including a cost benefit analysis of existing rules to evaluate the public benefits, determine whether the benefits justify the cost and explore less restrictive alternatives consistent with the intended purpose.

Also in Iowa, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Iowa Medicaid published INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO 2415-MC-FFS – End of Continuous Coverage Requirement.

Also in Iowa, as part of its realignment initiative, DHHS announced its new combined health and human services website.  

Finally in Iowa, NACDS sponsored the Iowa Pharmacy Association’s (IPA’s) Pharmacist Day on the Hill held on January 25. Pharmacists and pharmacy students participated in advocacy education and training activities and traveled to the Capitol to advocate for the modernization of the Pharmacy Practice Act, an increase in the Medicaid professional dispensing fee and enforcement of PBM regulations.  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

The Iowa Insurance Division adopted and filed emergency rules (ARC 6739C), effective January 1, 2023, to implement changes made in 2022 Iowa Acts, House File 2384, regarding pharmacy benefits managers. 

Also in Iowa, NACDS submitted a letter to the Iowa Insurance Division expressing appreciation for proposed rule changes (ARC 6740C) to Chapter 59, “Pharmacy Benefit Managers” (“PBMs”) in accordance with 2022 Iowa Acts, House File 2384, and urging the necessary enforcement of included provisions to further the state’s efforts on PBM reform and transparency. In particular, NACDS stated its support for language preventing PBMs from retroactively adjusting reimbursement of a clean claim paid to a pharmacy. Lastly, NACDS urged legislators and regulators to take additional action to help ensure pharmacies are fairly and adequately reimbursed with the ability to appeal below-cost reimbursement through the establishment of a maximum allowable cost appeals process.  

Finally in Iowa, the Board of Pharmacy published its December 2022 newsletter including the following articles/updates: discontinuation of printed license and registration certificates, reminder for licensees to maintain current contact information, compounding records rule update, pharmacy’s social media presence, electronic perpetual inventory logs, care facility documentation of immunizations, licensure of outsourcing facilities update, Narcan® and disposal programs, hard copy prescriptions during prescriber technical difficulties, Schedule II prescription annotations and 2023 board meeting schedule. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

The Board of Pharmacy adopted the following rules effective January 4, 2023:  

• ARC 6685C has been adopted and amends Chapter 23, “Care Facility Pharmacy Practice.” 
• ARC 6686C has been adopted and amends Chapter 41, “Outsourcing Facilities.” 
• ARC 6687C has been adopted and amends Chapter 14, “Public Information and Inspection of Records.” 
• ARC 6688C has been adopted and amends Chapter 12, “Precursor Substances.” 

• ARC 6689C has been adopted and amends Chapter 10, “Controlled Substances.” 

Also in Iowa, the Board of Pharmacy published ARC 6696C as a Notice of Intended Action to amend Chapter 3, “Pharmacy Technicians,” Chapter 6, “General Pharmacy Practice,” Chapter 8, “Universal Practice Standards,” Chapter 18, “Centralized Prescription Filling and Processing,” Chapter 21, “Electronic Data and Automated Systems in Pharmacy Practice,” and Chapter 39, “Expanded Practice Standards.” Comments may be submitted until 4:30 p.m. on December 20. 

Finally in Iowa, the Department of Health and Human Services, Iowa Medicaid published INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2405-MC-FFS announcing January 2023 Iowa Medicaid Pharmacy Program Changes. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

The Department of Health and Human Services, Iowa Medicaid published INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2402-MC-FFS announcing the November Towns Halls will be held on Thursday, December 1, 2022, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Visit the website for details, including registration information.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.