Following up previous reporting about the Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) delay of implementing the requirement that all providers serving Medicaid beneficiaries be screened and enrolled in the Michigan Medicaid program, MDDHS announced it is still reassessing new implementation and enforcement dates.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed HB 5678 into law on April 2 with immediate effect, delaying implementation of last year’s legislation that stated, beginning March 31, 2018, a prescriber must not prescribe a Schedule II through V controlled substance unless the prescriber is in a bona fide prescriber-patient relationship with the patient. Under this law, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is required to promulgate rules defining what constitutes a “bona fide prescriber-patient relationship.” Per HB 5678, the implementation date is now Sunday, March 31, 2019. However, if rules are promulgated by DHHS before that date, the effective date will be the date in which the rules are finalized.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed into law HB 4472 pertaining to the substitution of interchangeable biosimilars with various options for pharmacists to communicate the product dispensed to the prescriber effective Tuesday, May 29.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) requirement that Managed Care Organization (MCO) typical providers be enrolled in CHAMPS by March 1, 2018, has been delayed. Additional communication will be issued when a date has been finalized. More information can be found on the Provider Enrollment web page.

Also in Michigan. NACDS attended the Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) Annual Convention in Detroit, where MPA honored State Reps. Henry (Hank) Vaupel (R), Scott Dianda (D), Abdullah Hammoud (D) and Bronna Kahle (R) for their contributions to supporting community pharmacy.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs filed Administrative Rules with the Office of the Great Seal to create a standing order for dispensing opioid antagonists that was effective January 23.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley (R) signed into law a package of legislation intended to address the opioid epidemic and several bills of which directly pertain to pharmacy. SB 166requires prescribers by Friday, June 1, 2018 to register with the Prescription Monitoring Program and, with certain exceptions, to obtain reports for controlled substance prescriptions of greater than a three-day supply. SB 274 allows pharmacists in certain circumstances to partially fill a controlled substances prescription and prohibits prescribers from prescribing more than a seven-day supply in a seven-day period when treating a patient for acute pain.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.