With a rise in the Delta variant, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) recommended this week that masks be worn in certain settings by unvaccinated customers and employees, including those working in retail and restaurants. The Governor and Department of Public Health Commissioner Stack encouraged unvaccinated Kentuckians and those in jobs that require consistent contact with the public to take additional precautions, including: 

• All unvaccinated Kentuckians should wear masks indoors when not at home; 
• Kentuckians at higher risk from COVID-19 due to pre-existing conditions should wear masks indoors when not home; 
• Vaccinated Kentuckians in jobs with significant public exposure should consider wearing a mask at work; and 

• All unvaccinated Kentuckians, when eligible, should be vaccinated immediately. 

For more information, contact NACDS' Jill McCormack at 717-525-8962 

Louisiana: Lawmakers returned to Baton Rouge this week for a four-day special session to try to override bills vetoed by Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) to address transgender sports and the ability to carry a concealed gun without a permit. Both bills failed to receive the two-thirds votes to override the governor's vetoes.  

Also in Louisiana, the Department of Health (LDH) has engaged Myers and Stauffer (MS) to conduct a cost of dispensing survey that will be used to evaluate the Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement methodology. The survey will to be mailed in August. LDH and MS will host a pharmacy stakeholder WebEx meeting on Monday, August 2, 2021, at 3 pm CDT, to discuss the scope of the survey and address questions on the overall process.  

Webex Instructions: 

Presentation Slides (Use the following link in your web browser) 

https://mslc.webex.com/mslc/j.php?MTID=m83c00c0a8d023dcf9aebde63f4b5899d 

Presentation Password: BMyH4QEtp27 

If you join through a web browser, there will be an option for Webex to call you for the audio portion of the call or to use computer audio. Please select this option if you will be attending both online and over the phone. 

If you will be attending by phone only, you can access the conference call line via the information below: 

Telephone: 844.740.1564 Attendee code: 161 069 0135 

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

As of June 29, 2021, pharmacies will not have to obtain identification for a patient person purchasing hypodermic syringes and needles or maintain a logbook for these purchases. The change is a result of the passage of HB 219 of 2021. The new law also details the conditions under which pharmacies may sell syringes without a prescription, including providing written or electronic materials on safe disposal and syringe exchange programs and offering the patient Naloxone. Lastly, the law clarifies that syringes sold under these provisions do not constitute drug paraphernalia.

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

The Board of Pharmacy has published guidance for prescribers and dispensers of controlled substances on how to correct records submitted to the Kentucky All-Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting (KASPER) system.  

Also, in Kentucky, NACDS reminds members that effective July 1, 2021, MedImpact will be the single pharmacy benefits manager for the managed care program. For more information including provider notices and updates go to the Kentucky Medicaid Pharmacy Program page.

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

MedImpact gave this presentation that has details on the July 1, 2021 transition to a Single PBM in Medicaid as a result of the passage of SB 50 of 2020. It also includes a timeline and contact information for the MCOs.

Also in Kentucky, the Department of Medicaid Services is in search of a Pharmacy Director as Dr. Jessin Joseph has departed.  Click here for more information or to apply.

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

HB 48, a bill that requires commercial insurances and the state employee health plan to pay pharmacists for both prescription drug claims and patient procedures or services within their scope of practice at a rate not less than that paid to other non-physician practitioners, was signed by Gov. Andy Beshear (D) last week and will be effective 90 days after sine die, which was March 30.

Also in Kentucky, NACDS has been informed that in a meeting this week DMS verbally shared that they have finalized the single PBM pharmacy reimbursement model as NADAC (including current FFS “lesser of” computation) + PDF of $10.64 — the current fee-for-service model. Notably, although SB 50 of the last session allowed Medicaid to implement tiering, the final proposal will reimburse all pharmacies equally. Commissioner Lisa Lee reported that MedImpact and the Managed Care Organizations are expected to and will be required to meet the July 1, 2021 implementation date.  NACDS thanks the Kentucky Retail Federation and the Kentucky Pharmacists Association for their work on this issue during and after the passage of SB 50 of the last session. NACDS served on the Medicaid PTAC Committee which recommended this methodology to Medicaid.

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

HB 48, legislation that would mandate commercial insurance payments for clinical services to pharmacists has passed both Chambers unanimously and is headed to the Governor for signature. The bill was introduced by Rep. Danny Bentley (R), and mandates payment for services within a pharmacists’ scope of practice and would otherwise be paid if performed by a physician, advanced practice nurse, or physician assistant. NACDS advocated in favor of the passage of the bill.

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