The Department of Health (LDH) hired Patrick Gillies to serve as the new Medicaid Director.

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

At the August 18th Board of Pharmacy meeting, the Board approved proposed rules. 

Title 46 (la.gov) that allows pharmacy interns and pharmacy technicians to administer medications independently of the Prep Act, and also repeals the requirement to report immunizations to physicians.  

 Also in Louisiana, the Department of Health (LDH) announced that they will be reimbursing for pharmacist administered influence vaccines for the 2021-2022 flu season beginning on September 15, 2021. 

Finally in Louisiana, the Department of Insurance is soliciting feedback from stakeholders on the roles and responsibilities of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) and Pharmacy Services Administrative Organizations (PSAO). Submit comments to jeffrey.zewe@ldi.la.gov  under the title “Response to Act 192 Request for Information” by November 1, 2021. 

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

Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) issued a statewide indoor mask mandate in effect until September 1. https://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/3301

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

The Board of Pharmacy is meeting all-day in-person on August 18th at the Baton Rouge Embassy Suites. http://www.pharmacy.la.gov/assets/docs/Board/2021-0818_01_AgendaBdMtg.pdf

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

The Department of Health (LDH) hosted a virtual pharmacy stakeholder meeting on August 2nd to discuss the scope of the Cost of Dispensing (COD) survey and their timeline for completion. Myers and Stauffer presented https://www.nacds.org/ceo/2021/0806/LA%20PPT%202021%20LDH%20COD%20stakeholder%20meeting.pdf 

and fielded questions. They agreed to accept feedback on the survey instrument https://www.nacds.org/ceo/2021/0806/2021_LA_proposed_survey_tool.pdf and survey process through August 12th, and then collaborate with LDH to finalize the survey tool. Pharmacies should receive the survey by the end of August. 

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

Effective July 1, 2021, the state adopted a single Louisiana Medicaid Single PDL – Fee for Service and Managed Care Organizations . The Preferred Drug List (PDL)/Non-Preferred Drug List (NPDL) is a list of over 100 therapeutic classes reviewed by the Pharmaceutical & Therapeutics (P&T) Committee.  

Also in Louisiana, the Board of Pharmacy Regulation Revision Committee will be meeting in Baton Rouge on August 3rd to numerous proposed draft rules found here – http://www.pharmacy.la.gov/assets/docs/Cmtes/RegRev/Agenda_2021-0803.pdf 

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

The Department of Health (LDH) issued several new Medicaid bulletins for pharmacies: 

• Louisiana Medicaid Pharmacy Point of Sale Diagnosis Code Requirements for Select Drugs – Effective July 1, 2021 
• Louisiana Medicaid Pharmacy Point of Sale Quantity Limit for Dulaglutide (Trulicity®) – Effective July 1, 2021 
• Louisiana Medicaid Pharmacy Point of Sale Clinical Authorization and Criteria Updates for Select Drugs – Effective July 1, 2021 
• Louisiana Medicaid Pharmacy Educational Alert for Opioid Prescriptions – Effective July 1, 2021 

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

In response to a survey from the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), NACDS submitted comments recommending ways LDH can improve the pharmacy benefit delivery models used by the state’s Medicaid managed care organizations. Specifically, NACDS suggested that they adopt policies to help ensure patient access to neighborhood pharmacies by promoting the ability for any willing pharmacy to participate in a managed care organization’s network provided that a pharmacy accepts the terms and conditions of that network. We also advocated that LDH carve out the prescription drug benefit from the Medicaid managed care program to the state’s fee-for-service program. Lastly, we recommended the adoption of a Medicaid managed care reimbursement methodology that seeks to ensure a pharmacy’s costs are covered, which aligns with methodology used under the state’s Medicaid fee-for-service program.

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

The Board of Pharmacy recently approved several rules effective May 20, 2021.

• Final rule increases the amount of medication that may be dispensed under an emergency prescription to a 90-day supply. The rule also provides for special permitting of pharmacists licensed outside the state to allow participation in disaster relief.
• Final rule establishes standards for licensure of pharmacy benefit managers engaged in certain activities. The rule establishes procedures for board review of applications for the initial issuance of the permit, the renewal of the permit, applications for the reinstatement of disciplined permits, and the permanent closure of a permit.

Also in Louisiana, the Department of Health (LDH) is reviewing the current transportation services and pharmacy benefit delivery models for its Medicaid managed care program. LDH is seeking input by June 21, 2021, on the key factors that must be considered when improving these models. This feedback can be provided at: https://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/form/241.

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