TPA [Tennessee Pharmacists Association] will offer Mental Health First Aid training to 25 attendees at the TPA Winter Meeting, held in Nashville on February 26–27. Space is limited. Register Today! 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Tennessee Justice Center will be hosting a webinar on March 1, at 11:00 am (Central) focused on how to prepare your team for having conversations with TennCare beneficiaries about their eligibility redetermination.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

The Division of TennCare invites you to our virtual Annual Feedback Session for the Episodes of Care Program on March 23. This Session is open to all stakeholders to share successes, ask questions and give feedback to improve program design. The entire session is anticipated to take approximately one hour; however, the session will conclude when all feedback is given. This is a free event, although registration is required. Click HERE to register.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

TennCare Prescribing Providers, please see Information and Updates to the TennCare Preferred Drug List (PDL) due to Amoxicillin shortages. We encourage you to review this information thoroughly and contact the OptumRx Pharmacy Supports Center at 866-434-5520 or tnrxeducation@optum.com should you have questions. 

Also in Tennessee, TennCare has established a plan for unwinding from the Public Health Emergency. In its first phase, TennCare seeks partnership from healthcare providers to encourage TennCare patients to update their contact information and register for TennCare Connect. Shareable resources are available on the website. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Gov. Bill Lee (R) named Dr. Ralph Alvardo, MD, FACP as the Commissioner for Tennessee Department of Health. Dr. Alvardo brings decades of diverse professional experience to Tennessee, which includes nearly 30 years as an attending physician, serving in the Kentucky State Senate since 2015 and leading the Senate Health and Welfare Committee as chairman since 2019. 

Also in Tennessee, TennCare announces additional drugs to the CoverRx list, including Synthroid, Armour Thyroid and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). The TennCare CoverRx coverage was effective December 1.  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

In collaboration with researchers at the UTHSC College of Pharmacy and grant support from Genentech, Tennessee Pharmacy Association would like to share an opportunity for community-based/outpatient pharmacies to enroll in a study investigating pharmacists’ management of influenza using point-of-care testing. Click here to learn more and enroll.

Also in Tennessee, updated versions of the Preferred Drug List (PDL), criteria PDL and interim criteria PDL are available, as well as the monthly provider notice for October 2022. Below is a summary of the updates:

• The following agents will be added to the PDL as non-preferred:
  • Adlarity, Bylvay, Epsolay, Livmarli, Livtencity, Norliqva, Opzelura, Rezurock, Skytrofa, Tavneos, Tarpeyo, Triumeq PD
• Clinical criteria and/or quantity limits will be updated for the following agents:
  • Nubeqa, Nucala, Olumiant, Skyrizi
• The following agents will be added to the interim criteria PDL:
  • Radicava ORS, Vtama
• Proventil HFA will be moved to preferred on the PDL in response to marketing discontinuation of Proair HFA

Updates to clinical criteria/quantity limits from the Q3 PAC meeting will also became effective on October 1 and were summarized in the September provider notice.

These documents are available on the TennCare website.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Tennessee Pharmacy Association will provide one-hour OSHA training via online seminar, starting on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. Ten different time slots are available. Register today

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

TennCare is abandoning plans to set limits on some prescription drugs. This change comes after advocacy groups voiced concerns for low-income patients whose medication access may be limited.

Also in Tennessee, the Tennessee Pharmacy Association (TPA) wants to hear from you! If you are a pharmacist or pharmacy technician, please take their 2022 Needs Assessment to share your educational needs and your interest in diverse types of educational programming.

TPA’s “COVID-19 Updates: Paxlovid Prescribing and Best Practices for Vaccinating under 5” Webinar on Wednesday, August 10, 12-1pm CT, will provide the most current COVID updates.

Finally in Tennessee, updated versions of the PDL (Preferred Drug List), criteria PDL, and interim criteria PDL as well as the monthly provider notice for August 2022 can be found here.

The updates below became effective 8/1/2022:

• Vimpat moved from preferred to non-preferred
• ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone otic suspension moved from non-preferred to preferred
• Sirturo was added to as non-preferred

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Tennessee Pharmacy Association is looking for Champion Advocates to host legislators in their pharmacy or hospital, including members of Congress during the August recess. Please contact Anthony@TNPharm.org to express your interest. 

Also in Tennessee, please see the updates to the PDL, Clinical Criteria, and Interim Criteria for July 2022.  These changes went into effect on July 1st. 

Finally in Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) is hosting an Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Healthcare Provider Conference on Friday, July 22, 2022, and will offer FREE Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits for participating providers (offered through TMA). Online sessions will be available one week after the conference concludes for providers that cannot attend the live event. Questions and to register – Visit their website    

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.