At the request of NACDS and the New York State Pharmacy Coalition, the New York State Department of Health issued the New York State Opioid Annual Assessment Reporting Guidance for pharmacies about how to manage any obligations for opioids that are stored in intracompany distribution centers in the state under the newly created opioid assessment program that was established by the enactment of the Opioid Stewardship Act. The guidance was effective July 1 and reporting requirements are effective on Wednesday, August 1.

Also in New York…This week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed S9100, The Drug Take Back Act, into law. The newly enacted law requires certain drug manufacturers to fund a statewide drug take back program to be implemented by pharmacies operating in 10 or more locations. It takes effect in 180 days and 180 days from then the manufacturers are required to submit their drug take back plans to the New York State Department of Health (DOH) for approval. Also, DOH is authorized to begin to develop regulations and other work around implementation prior to the effective date.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

The New York State legislature passed legislation (A02857D/S1043D) authorizing pharmacy interns to administer immunizations.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

This week, the Senate unanimously passed the pharmacy technician registration and certification proposal (NY-SB 5584). The bill will now be sent to the Assembly for its consideration.

Also in New York… NACDS joined the Chain Pharmacy Association of New York State and the New York pharmacy coalition in a meeting with the acting Medicaid Director Donna Frescatore to discuss the expanded roles that pharmacies can play in providing healthcare to the state’s Medicaid recipients.

Also in New York… This week, both the Senate and the Assembly passed NY S9100 / NY A9576-B, legislation that would require drug manufacturers to pay for public education, collection, transport and destruction of leftover drugs. It would also require mail-order pharmacies and pharmacy chains of 10 or more stores to provide on-site collection, vouchers for prepaid mail-back envelopes or other U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-approved methods of drug disposal. The legislation also includes language pre-empting county/local ordinances. The Governor has until the end of the calendar year to sign the legislation into law.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

This week, the Senate passed S.1043D/A2857D (companion bills) permitting pharmacy interns to administer all authorized vaccines in the state. It will now go to Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) for his signature.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

NACDS joined the Chain Pharmacy Association of New York State and New York pharmacy community to talk with key state legislators during a lobby day focused on drug take back initiatives. Currently, there are several pending legislative proposals in both the Assembly and the Senate. It remains unclear which of these proposals will advance. 

Also in New York…NACDS attended the recent meeting of the New York State Board of Pharmacy. During the meeting, Surescripts led a discussion on the quality improvements in electronic prescribing as part of its prescription accuracy initiatives. Also, several board members suggested a discussion of supervising pharmacists’ roles, requirements and responsibilities as a topic for a future meeting.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

Last week, NACDS joined over 700 pharmacists and pharmacy interns in meetings with state legislators to urge passage of several key pieces of legislation including allowing pharmacy interns to immunize, allow comprehensive medication management in the community pharmacy setting and recognition of pharmacy technicians in statute and regulation.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

Both the Assembly and the Senate reacted this week to the governor’s budget proposal that would impose a tax on opioids sold in the state. Although characterized as a tax on manufacturers, the proposal would in many cases be a tax on pharmacy since it would require that the establishment that makes the first sale of the product in New York to pay the tax with no ability to pass it on. Given that pharmacies often make the first sale, this proposal would greatly impact pharmacies. Fortunately, while the Assembly’s budget proposal does retain the governor’s opioid tax, it specifies that for calculating the first sale for tax purposes, the state cannot include any sales to pharmacies. The Senate budget proposal totally eliminates the tax proposal. This issue will now go to a conference of the Assembly, Senate and the governor’s office to be resolved before the Sunday, April 1 budget deadline.

Also in New York…After a year of discussions with Medicaid staff, numerous meetings with legislative leadership and key Administration staff, as part of the New York State budget proposal, the Governor recommended an eight-cent increase in the Medicaid fee-for-service professional dispensing fee raising the fee from $10.00 to $10.08. This week, both the Assembly and the Senate concurred with the increase.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced he is advancing a 30-day budget amendment that would codify an Executive Order temporarily allowing pharmacists to administer flu vaccines to children ages two to 18 years. If enacted, this legislation would permanently suspend the section of the state education law that limits the authority of pharmacists to administer immunizing agents to anyone under 18 years of age. The budget amendment also includes language to encourage pharmacies to enroll in the New York State Vaccines for Children Program, which provides vaccines to children and individuals regardless of their ability to pay.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) issued an emergency order which allows pharmacists to administer flu vaccines to children ages two to 18 years. Subsequently, NACDS worked with the Chain Pharmacy Association of New York State and the New York State Department of Health (DOH) on implementation concerns. Over the weekend, Howard Zucker, Commissioner of DOH, signed a statewide, non-patient specific order for licensed pharmacists with a certificate of administration issued by the New York State Education Department to vaccinate patients ages two years to 18 years against seasonal influenza.

Also in New York…NACDS and the Chain Pharmacy Association of New York State met with state Medicaid staff and were advised that the changes to Medicaid fee-for-service pharmacy reimbursement using NADAC plus a $10.00 professional dispensing fee will be implemented effective Thursday, February 22, on a prospective basis. Staff do not yet know when retroactive adjustments to April 1, 2017, will be made.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.