On March 6, NACDS testified at the Senate Seniors, Families and Children Committee in support of SB 262, legislation that would require e-prescribing of all drugs consistent with NACDS’ model legislation. Discussion continues among legislators and other concerned stakeholders about potential amendments.

A recent newsletter from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs contains information about implementing legislation enacted last year pertaining to seven-day opioid supply limit, plus information about requesting authorization to install a drop box for taking back drugs.

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

Gov. Michael L. Parson (R) named Rep. Todd Richardson (R), currently Speaker of the House, to become Medicaid Director effective Thursday, November 1. Speaker Richardson will be replaced by House Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr (R), who was already selected to succeed Speaker Richardson in 2019 but will assume the interim speaker role in the meantime.

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

The Board of Pharmacy is holding its final Patient Safety and Compliance Seminar of the year on Tuesday, October 23 in Columbia. Visit the website for additional details and online registration.

Also in Missouri… the Board launched “Rx Cares for Missouri,” a community public awareness program promoting medication safety. The campaign highlights appropriate ways to take prescription medication, tips for talking with a pharmacist, recognizing the effects and signs of prescription drug misuse, avoiding medication mistakes and proper medication disposal. The campaign will also bring awareness about services provided by pharmacists such as medication management and counseling, medication review and assessment, developing medication treatment plans, administering vaccines and other prescribed medication and monitoring and evaluating the patient’s response to therapy to increase medication outcomes.

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

Gov. Mike Parson (R) signed into law SB 826, with wide ranging provisions impacting community pharmacy. First, the law prohibits initial opioid prescriptions of more than a seven-day supply for acute pain with exceptions. Pharmacies and pharmacists will not be subject to disciplinary action, or civil or criminal liability for refusing to fill a prescription that exceeds the prescribing limits. Second, the law also authorizes consumer drug disposal through various U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-approved options, but does not mandate pharmacy participation, and the bill preempts local drug disposal ordinances. The law provides that the state government will also develop a drug disposal education and awareness program for consumers. Third, the bill expands pharmacist immunization authority by lowering the patient age from 12 to 7 years for pharmacists to administer vaccines by written protocol and adds viral influenza to the list of allowed vaccines. For pharmacists administering vaccines, the pharmacist shall enter and inform the patient of entry of the vaccination into the ShowMeVax system. Finally, the law prohibits PBMs from charging patients co-pays that are more than the cash price for a drug and prohibits gag clauses.

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

The Board of Pharmacy is hosting a free webinar on Thursday, May 10 at 12:00 pm Central, featuring an update from Michael Boeger, Administrator of the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, and Tom Glenski, R.Ph., Chief Inspector. Additional details and information to register are available online.

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

On March 5, Gov. Eric Greitens (R) announced a new effort to address the opioid epidemic that includes enforcing physician compliance with the chronic pain treatment guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The initiative directs the Department of Social Services MO HealthNet Division to work collaboratively with the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Health and Senior Services to accelerate the goals of the MO HealthNet Opioid Prescription Intervention Program, which has been in place since 2010.

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