Effective October 1^st, the Department of Health’s (LDH) Medicaid Fee for Service (FFS) Pharmacy Program and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), in consultation with the Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board, began implementing quantity limits for select medications at the Point of Sale (POS):  Asthma/COPD Bronchodilator, Anticholinergic (COPD) – Inhalation Agents; Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs); Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) Agents; Tasimelteon (Hetlioz LQ™) [a Sedative Hypnotic];Vericiguat (Verquvo®) in Heart Disease, Hyperlipidemia – Vasodilators, Coronary. LA FFS-MCO Qty Limits

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

Both the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Advisory Council and the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Advisory Committee will be holding their quarterly meetings in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, October 13.

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

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.