Despite efforts by NACDS, the Louisiana Alliance of Retail Pharmacy (LARP), chain pharmacy lobbyists, and quick responses from  our Louisiana pharmacists via  the RxIMPACT Alerts, SB 51 failed to garner 20 votes after it was amended on the Senate floor to apply only to COVID vaccines. SB 51, sponsored by Senator Regina Ashford Barrow (D), would have lowered the age for pharmacists to provide childhood vaccinations without prescription order to 3 and order. NACDS will continue to work on this issue in the upcoming legislative session in efforts to align with the authority granted under the HHS PREP Act declaration.

Also in Louisiana. SB 63, also sponsored by Sen. Barrow, encountered strong opposition from the medical community at the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. SB 63 would have allowed pharmacies that do screenings using CLIA-waived tests to provide treatment based on positive test results. The bill would have provided treatment or therapy for HIV, which includes an HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, also known as PrEP, or an HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, also known as PEP. Due to such strong opposition, the bill was pulled, and discussions focused on convening a study committee to work out differences in the interim.

Also in Louisiana. The Board of Pharmacy announced changes to several proposed rules. A public hearing will be held and comments on the following rules are due by October 26, 2020.

1. Notice – a proposed rule that would amend regulations under LAC 46:LIII, Chapter 12, to revise automated medication system registration eligibility criteria and add detention and correctional facilities operated by state or local governments as locations. The rule also would revise credentialing procedures, modify pharmacist-in-charge responsibilities, and require the retrospective review of medications removed from a non-profile driven system. In addition, the rule would adopt documentation requirements. The changes will also revise the requirements for stocking and restocking and specify that a pharmacy with an automated medication system on-site does not need to register the system. A hearing is scheduled for October 26, 2020, in Baton Rouge.
2. Notice – a proposed rule that would amend regulations under LAC 46:LIII, Chapter 29, to add several drugs to the definition of “drugs of concern.” The rule also would add recordkeeping requirements for prescription transactions and revise provisions on authorized access privileges, access registration procedures, and methods of access. In addition, the rule would extend the automatic registration procedures to include dispensers. The changes would also remove seven of nine drugs originally proposed and retain the drugs promethazine when present in oral liquid formulations and gabapentin.

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

The Legislature convened a 30-day special session on Monday, September 28, focused primarily on budget and COVID issues. Seizing on the opportunity to pursue an NACDS initiative to make waivers permanent, NACDS and the Louisiana Alliance of Retail Pharmacy (LARP) persuaded Senator Regina Ashford Barrow (D) to file an immunization bill lowering the age for pharmacists to vaccinate without a prescription order to three and older to align with the federal PREP Act declaration. The current arbitrary age limits set in the statute are 7 years or older for influenza and all other vaccines, 17 years or older.

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

The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Senate,  announced that they are convening a 30-day special session on Monday, September 28^th to address the state’s budget shortfall related to low oil prices, COVID, hurricane recovery costs, and the rapidly depleting unemployment trust fund. There may also be items discussed aimed at curtailing the Governor’s emergency executive powers. View proclamation here.

Also in Louisiana. On September 23, the Department of Health provided an informational bulletin updating temporary changes in Medicaid provider policies and managed care practices in their emergency declaration for COVID-19. More information can be found here.

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

The Department of Health Bureau of Health Service Financing announced that effective September 15, 2020, both the Medicaid Fee for Service (FFS) Pharmacy Program and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) will cover select Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) adult vaccines for beneficiaries over the age of 18. According to the Department, adult vaccines are reimbursed when administered by a pharmacist with the “Authority to Administer” authorized by the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy. The announcement states that Louisiana Medicaid enrolled pharmacies will be reimbursed for the ingredient cost and administration fee when billing adult vaccines administered by a pharmacist. The FFS administration fee for adult vaccines is $15.22 for the first injection, then $9.13 for each additional injection with the same date of service. The FFS administration fee for a nasal vaccine is $10.80.  More information can be found here.

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

NACDS, alongside with the Public Health Department’s Immunization Director Stacy Hall, presented to public health officers around the country on the importance of flu and COVID vaccines. This presentation focused on the ways in which community pharmacies can be   ready to expedite expanded access to flu and COVID vaccines, when available

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