NACDS met with a dozen key state legislators this week to urge their support for the expansion of pharmacist authority to administer immunizations.
Also in New York... NACDS joined the New York pharmacy sector in discussions with the New York State Department of Health on Governor Cuomo’s budget proposal which would slash $2 billion from Medicaid. The Budget must be approved by April 1.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
In advance of public hearings this week, NACDS submitted a Memo of Support for the provisions in New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s (D) 2020-2021 budget proposal to expand pharmacist immunization authority to include the administration of all vaccines, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, to patients 18 years of age and older and to make the law permanent by removing the current sunset provision.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
NACDS and the Community Pharmacy Association of New York State held a series of lobby days and grassroots initiatives to support pharmacy technician legislation that this week Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) signed into law. It takes effect in 18 months and includes a change of the ratio of licensed pharmacist to unlicensed personnel from 2:1 to 4:1.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
On October 2, the State Department of Health released its proposed regulations to implement the drug disposal law passed in 2018 (Chapter 120) which requires chain pharmacies of 10 or more and non-resident pharmacies to offer patients a drug disposal/drug takeback option via an in-store receptacle or mail back program. Under the law, the program is to be managed and funded by the drug manufacturers. NACDS engaged in numerous meetings with both state regulators and drug manufacturers to insure a workable program for all.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
New York met its April 1 deadline for completion of its 2019-20 state budget. The final budget included a rejection of an across-the-board reduction in Medicaid claims totaling $380 million in combined federal and state dollars and included the elimination of spread pricing for Medicaid Managed Care plans. It did not include an expansion of the pharmacy technician ratio that was supported by NACDS. A $100 million opioid excise tax on drug manufacturers and wholesalers was also included. NACDS and the Community Pharmacy Association of New York State worked diligently to reject this tax citing that this would really be a tax on patients and pharmacies. NACDS is coordinating a legal review of the new tax law with the Healthcare Distribution Alliance to identify potential legal challenges, if any, to the new law.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
In April 2017, the Medicaid fee-for-service pharmacy reimbursement was adjusted to NADAC plus a $10.02 professional dispensing fee. This month, the Department of Health will start the process to retroactively adjust pharmacy claims that were adjudicated effective April 1, 2017 through February 21, 2018. The Department expects this repricing to take place over the course of several months and anticipates that it will be completed by the end of December 2019. Janet Elkind, pharmacy director for Medicaid, has stated that 77 percent of pharmacies will see an increase, six percent will see no change, and 16 percent see a reduction during this readjustment period.
New York…Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) recently released his budget. Additionally, 30-day budget amendments will be released on Thursday, February 14. Among the various provisions are a series of PBM proposals and a prohibition on selling any tobacco products by pharmacies. The legislature will debate the budget and complete the budget process by Monday, April 1.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
NACDS and the Chain Pharmacy Association of New York State met with the New York State (NYS) Bureau of Immunizations to discuss pharmacy participation in the federally-funded Vaccines for Children program. Also, the state is developing a Memorandum of Understand (MOU) for chain pharmacies so that the state has a method of communicating with pharmacies in the case of a pandemic. Once that MOU is complete, NACDS will distribute it to members operating in the state.
Also in New York…NACDS and the Chain Pharmacy Association of New York State met with the NYS Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement (BNE) to discuss the opioid tax assessment program and the drug disposal program. The opioid tax assessment program enacted earlier this year will result in additional revenue to the state totaling $100 million annually. The invoices to the impacted drug manufacturers and wholesale distributors have been sent. In addition, the newly enacted statewide drug disposal legislation has a series of 2019 target dates. We have asked BNE to hold a stakeholder meeting to ensure that all interested parties continue to participate in the development of the program.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
NACDS participated in the Board of Pharmacy meeting. A significant portion of the meeting focused on electronic prescribing and best practices. The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for Tuesday, March 12, 2019 in Albany.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
NACDS participated in the Board of Pharmacy meeting. A significant portion of the meeting focused on electronic prescribing and best practices. The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for Tuesday, March 12, 2019 in Albany.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.
