The Board of Pharmacy will hold a Public Hearing on February 23, 2021, on a proposed rule that would expand the board-authorized conditions allowing prescriber-approved protocols for dispensing of medications or other services to include alcohol use disorder; colorectal cancer prevention and screening; HCV infection screening; HIV infection prophylaxis, pre-and post-exposure; and HIV infection screening.  Please send your comments by February 16, 2021, to jmccormack@nacds.org for inclusion in NACDS’ letter of support.

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

The Board of Pharmacy published an emergency rule to allow pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacist interns to order and to administer vaccinations to children between the ages of three and 17 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to comply with federal standards under the PREP Act. A hearing is scheduled for February 23, 2021, via teleconference and written comments are due February 28, 2021. The rule became effective November 23 and expires August 20, 2021.

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

The Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) is transitioning to a Single Preferred Drug List (PDL) for Kentucky Medicaid Fee-For-Service (FFS) and Managed Care and have published a provider notice detailing the changes. Beginning on January 1, 2021, all Managed Care Organizations (MCO) will follow the FFS (aka Single) PDL maintained by Magellan Rx Management. The Single PDL will be available for viewing on the Kentucky Medicaid Magellan Rx Portal.

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

The Board of Pharmacy has filed an emergency regulation allowing pharmacists, interns, and technicians to order and administer vaccinations for individuals age 3 and up. Pharmacists who choose to take advantage of this regulation must receive 20 hours of ACPE training, otherwise, the state requirement of operating under a protocol must be met.

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

Representative Bentley, Pharm.D. (R) has pre-filed BR 328, which would require commercial insurance plans to reimburse pharmacists for claims submitted for services within their scope of practice, as well as require the insurer to credential pharmacists for these services.

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

Effective January 1, 2021, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) will utilize Version 4.2B of the American Society for Automation in Pharmacy (ASAP) Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Standard for reporting controlled substance data to KASPER. Members may want to take the following actions to prepare:

• Review the implementation guide for Version 4, Release 2B of the ASAP Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Standard
• Review the KASPER Controlled Substance Reporting Guide:
• By Jan. 1, 2021, ensure your pharmacy systems are reporting two newly required fields:
  1. DSP12 Transmission Form of Rx Origin Code.
  2. DSP13 Partial Fill Indicator. CHFS will require this field for all prescription records reported to KASPER.

Additionally,  effective January 1, 2021, when the PAT02 value is 07 for Social Security Number, the vast majority of records, the PAT03 value must be nine numeric digits or the record will be rejected with a fatal error and will need to be corrected.

Lastly, to support EPCS, KASPER will track the DSP20 – Electronic Prescription Reference Number, and DSP21 – Electronic Prescription Order Number fields. Reporting these fields is optional, but KASPER is requesting that pharmacies report this if capable.  For further detail, please contact KASPER administration at (502) 564-2815 or eKASPER.admin@ky.gov.

Also in KY. NACDS reminds members that Kentucky Revised Statute 218A.182 mandates the electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS) effective January 1, 2021. The Kentucky mandate is similar to the federal Medicare Part D EPCS mandate effective January 1, 2021, but applies to all controlled substances prescribed in Kentucky. Click here for more information, including criteria and process for an exemption.

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

The Department for Public Health published an order relating to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The order specifies that a clinician’s order is not required for a laboratory services provider to perform and bill for a molecular diagnostic test, that insurers will not require an order as a precondition for coverage, and that clinicians are not required to have established a formal clinician-patient relationship unless professional medical advice beyond providing this testing service is otherwise explicitly provided. The order also addresses cost sharing and in vitro diagnostic products.

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