The Board of Pharmacy held their quarterly meeting on November 17.  

Also in Louisiana, Medicaid announced that another Managed Care Organization (MCO), Humana Healthy Horizons, will be added effective January 1, 2023, offering services to Medicaid recipients. The Medicaid Pharmacy Program will now consist of Medicaid Fee-for-Service (FFS) and six managed care organizations (Aetna, AmeriHealth Caritas, Healthy Blue, Humana Healthy Horizons, Louisiana Healthcare Connections, and UnitedHealthcare).  

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

The Board of Pharmacy quarterly meeting is scheduled on November 15 and 16 at the Board’s office in Baton Rouge. Prior to the meeting, the agenda and public meeting binder will be accessible here. 

Also in Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) appointed 5 members to the 17-member Board of Pharmacy.  

• Ricky Indovina, pharmacist with Ochsner Health System to a third six-year term; 
• Raymond Strong, PharmD, with Ascension DePaul Services to a second six-year term; 
• Pharmacist Jennifer Elliott Dupree with Walmart, a new member to a six-year term; 
• Richard Mannino, independent pharmacy owner to a second six-year term and 
• Chris Melancon, a new independent staff pharmacist to a six-year term. 

Finally in Louisiana, on October 19th, the Medicaid Fee for Service (FFS) Pharmacy Program announced the implementation of an electronic drug prior authorization application to achieve a more streamlined authorization process. 

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

Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) appointed several members to serve on the Board of Pharmacy — independent pharmacist Richard Mannino and Walmart pharmacist Jennifer Dupree.

Also in Louisiana, Medicaid continues to enroll providers who have missed the September 30, 2022, deadline.

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

The Department of Health (LDH) Medicaid Pharmacy Program issued the following updates:

• Louisiana Medicaid Pharmacy Point of Sale Clinical Authorization and Updates for Select Medications – Effective October 1, 2022
• Louisiana Medicaid Pharmacy Point of Sale (POS) Edits – Effective October 1, 2022
• Louisiana Medicaid Pharmacy Point of Sale Quantity Limits – Effective October 1, 2022
• Louisiana Medicaid Pharmacy Point of Sale (POS) Diagnosis Code – Effective October 1, 2022
• Louisiana Medicaid Pharmacy Point of Sale (POS) Edits for Tramadol/Celecoxib (Seglentis®) – Effective October 1, 2022

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

The Board of Pharmacy Regulation Revisions Committee will be meeting on October 11 at their office in Baton Rouge to discuss these regulatory proposals.  

Also in Louisiana, the Department of Insurance Office of the Commissioner promulgated Regulation 122 defining the roles and responsibilities solely within the purview of pharmacy benefit managers and pharmacy services administrative organizations. 

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

The Department of Health’s (LDH) deadline for Medicaid providers to submit an enrollment application is September 20, 2022. Claims will be denied beginning December 31, 2022, for providers who have not completed the enrollment process by September 30. Providers should visit www.lamedicaid.com to enroll. Additional guidance is located at www.ldh.la.gov/medicaidproviderenrollment. Providers can also email questions to LouisianaProvEnroll@gainwelltechnologies.com or call 833-641-2140.

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

The Department of Health (LDH (Louisiana, the Department of Health)) Medicaid Pharmacy Facts includes detailed information on Medicaid’s Fee-for-Service (FFS) Pharmacy Program and the managed care organizations (MCO) coverage and reimbursements for flu and COVID booster. 

• Effective September 15, 2022, enrolled pharmacies will be reimbursed for the influenza vaccines and administration of the vaccines when given to Medicaid recipients, who are 19 years of age and older when the administering pharmacist is an enrolled Medicaid provider. The cost of the vaccine will not be reimbursed for recipients under the age of 19, only the administration fee will be reimbursed, as these vaccines are available through the Louisiana Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy rules and regulations allow a vaccinating pharmacist to administer the influenza vaccine to individuals seven years of age and older. 
•  On September 23, 2022, with an effective date of August 31, 2022, the Louisiana Medicaid’s Fee-for-Service (FFS) Pharmacy Program and the managed care organizations (MCO) are covering the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster, with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The federal government covers the cost of the COVID-19 vaccine. Therefore, Louisiana Medicaid will reimburse enrolled pharmacies the administration fee only. Coverage for the Pfizer, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), and Moderna COVID-19 primary vaccine series will continue. 
• Louisiana Medicaid is hosting a series of provider webinars regarding the upcoming Provider Enrollment deadline. 

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

The Department of Insurance (LDI) released a summary report on the process of promulgating Regulation 122, which defines the roles and responsibilities solely within the purview of pharmacy benefit managers and pharmacy services administrative organizations as required by a newly enacted statute, R.S. 22:1660.9(C).

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

The Department of Health (LDH) issued a Provider Bulletin to inform all providers rendering services to Louisiana Medicaid members with updates on COVID-19 covered services.

Also in Louisiana, the Board of Pharmacy announced Joe Fontenot, Jr, RPh (registered pharmacists) as their new Executive Director, replacing Malcolm Broussard who retired after serving 23 years.

Finally in Louisiana, the Board issued Bulletin No. 22-01 – Status of Interim Policies From COVID-19 Declaration of Emergency, terminating some of the policies effective May 31, 2022, and further extending some of the policies including the 4:1 pharmacy technician ratio until the end of the calendar year.

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