Kentucky Medicaid has issued a new Standing Order to include at-home COVID-19 tests.

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

SB 25 passed the General Assembly last week and extended COVID executive orders until 4/4/22. Of interest to pharmacy, this bill continues emergency dispensing, remote work for pharmacists, and the ordering and administering vaccinations and COVID-19 testing.  

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

Rep. Steve Sheldon (R) has introduced legislation to comprehensively regulate Pharmacy Benefit Managers. House Bill 203 would regulate PBMs in commercial and self-insured plans, as well as the state employee plan. The bill includes patient choice of pharmacy protections and measures that protect pharmacy reimbursed. It would also prohibit mandatory mail order, require any rebates to reduce patients’ out-of-pocket costs and set a pharmacy reimbursement floor based on NADAC + professional dispensing fee. Additionally, it would require PBMs to treat 340B claims like other prescription claims for reimbursement purposes. 

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

MedImpact has published a bulletin with override codes for early refills for patients impacted by tornadoes in Kentucky.

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

The Board of Pharmacy approved an emergency amendment to the pharmacy closure regulation at its Nov. 30 meeting. As an emergency regulation, once it is filed with the LRC it will be in effect immediately. The regulation changes the temporary pharmacy closure notification requirement from 5 days to 2 two days within a 14-day period or 9 days in a 30-day period and requires pharmacies to notify the board in immediately in writing of a closure meeting the threshold. Additionally, it has requirements for signage, control of prescriptions, notification of providers and post-closure claims adjudication.

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

An RX Fraud Alert has been issued by the Office of Inspector General, Division of Audits & Investigation. The office has seen a huge uptick in prescriber identity theft and forged (C-V) Promethazine with codeine prescriptions across the Commonwealth. They encourage pharmacies to reach out to their Drug Enforcement and Professional Practices Branch with questions, concerns, or fraud reports at 502-564-7985.

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

Gov. Andy Beshear called the General Assembly into a special session to address issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The special session was required because of a Supreme Court ruling that lifted an injunction issued by Franklin Circuit Court that prohibited implementation of legislation that limited the governor’s authority during a declared state of emergency. Subsequently, the Legislature passed, and the Governor signed HJR 1, which extended several executive orders, agency actions and administrative regulations until January 15, 2020. Of special interest to pharmacy, HJR 1 renewed the following:

• Executive Order 2020-215 that declared the original state of emergency including extending legal liability protections from SB 5 of 2021
• Executive Order 2021-666 allowing pharmacists to dispense a 30-day emergency refills to patients
• 2021 Executive Order 2021-665 price gouging
• Extension of nurse practitioners’ prescribing controlled substances without a physicians’ collaborative agreement.
• Board of Pharmacy Order regarding the suspension of administrative regulations which relate to in-person work to promote telework opportunities where possible
• Secretary of the Governor’s Executive Cabinet Order, dated April 24, 2020, related to the “practice of pharmacy” shall include initiating, ordering, and administering Covid-19 testing

The General Assembly continues to meet; further COVID-19 healthcare related measures are expected to receive consideration.

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

The BOP has withdrawn its recent regulation 201 KAR 2:410E expanding pharmacies immunization authority and replaced it with an emergency revised regulation that includes the most recent HHS Guidance allowing pharmacy technicians to administer influenza vaccines to adults. The regulation maintains the ability of any pharmacist to order and administer vaccinations for anyone over the age of three years old, under a protocol. The regulation will next be reviewed by the Administrative Regulatory Review Subcommittee of the General Assembly. However, because it was filed as an emergency regulation, it is in effect now. 

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

The Department of Medicaid Services (DMS) and MedImpact have announced a delay in the implementation of the planned 7–day payment cycle. The plan to migrate to a 7-day cycle is the result of continued pharmacy provider confusion and cashflow concerns regarding the previously established MedImpact payment cycle (14-day cycle and payment transfer/EFT timing and visibility). The change may be effective for the cycle end date 09/02/2021, barring unforeseen circumstances. EOB/claim file production will be aligned with this new schedule.  If you have questions regarding your payments, you can contact MedImpact’s Pharmacy Network Department.

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