RxCorner OPhA

Forced to Use Mail Order for Your Prescriptions!

2011-11-08T09:32:00.000-08:00

OSEEGIB voted on August 19, 2011 to change the pharmacy benefit for maintenance drugs dispensed in 90 day supplies. Participants must use the plan’s PBM – Medco mail order facility or select retail maintenance network pharmacies or experience a severe copayment penalty. The average copayment penalty is over $40.00 for maintenance brand name drugs after the third fill of the prescription.
Our pharmacies were given the opportunity to participate in the 90 day retail maintenance contract, but at rates below our acquisition costs to provide the drug. This, in effect, became a defacto mail order mandate. OSEEGIB’s Medco claims this will save $8.8 million dollars which is needed to enable the plan to maintain the same premium levels.
PPOk, which is a provider organization and represents over 450 pharmacies in Oklahoma, has proposed a plan that will save significantly more than $8.8 million, maintains access to the pharmacy of your choice, provides a comprehensive network that will effectively eliminate copayment penalties, and allow OSEEGIB to maintain premiums for state teachers and state employees. The plan provides significant discounts for brand name and generic drugs for all prescriptions, not just for maintenance drugs.
The implementation of the current plan will drastically impact our businesses and will have a negative economic impact of over $75 million annually to the state of Oklahoma. It is estimated that over 89 rural retail pharmacies will be at a high risk of going out of business. For others, it will result in lost jobs, lost wages and lost taxes.
Local community pharmacies have a long history of supporting their communities by donating to education projects, team sports, year book sponsorships, and other community organizations. We most likely will not be able to continue this financial support to our communities. When is the last time communities received a check from the Mail Order pharmacy in New Jersey!
We ask – why would OSEEGIB intentionally do something to hurt our communities and businesses? Sending business to out of state mail order is bad business for the state of Oklahoma. We have a “Community Pharmacy Proposal” that will solve the problem.
We urge our legislators and OSEEGIB representatives to support the “Community Pharmacy Proposal” and allow us to continue providing the services that our patients seek and deserve.

OPhA Convention Silent Auction

2011-05-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

Silent Auction Donations
Oklahoma Pharmacists and Strategic Partners: BIG or small your donation is appreciated. Countdown to "An AMAZING RACE to Pharmacy Excellence" is less than 35 days away.

OPhA/PPOk Annual Conference - June 9 -12, 2011 at the Chateau on the Lake Resort and Conference Center, Branson, Missouri
The 2011 Auction Committee would like to ask for your support of the (OPEF) Oklahoma Pharmacy Educational Foundation. This year, OPhA will be hosting a silent auction during the annual conference. For your donation, you will be recognized in the 2011 annual conference program, as well as the 'advertisement' of having over 200 people view your products or services. When you contribute to the OPhA Educational Foundation, you invest in our industry's future. The OPhA Educational Foundation uses the money generated from the silent auction to further a lifelong process of learning through pharmacy student support, professional development, networking, and research.

CLICK HERE to view the Auction Commitment/Donation Form. We hope you choose to support our efforts and complete this form and return it by fax or email. Thanks for helping us achieve our promise to fund OPEF in the "Amazing Race to Pharmacy Excellence!" For additional information, please contact Kim Spitz at kspitz@opha.com

POISONING, WARNS OKLAHOMA POISON CONTROL CENTER

2011-03-02T14:57:00.000-08:00

- More than 53,000 calls were received in 2010 by the Oklahoma Poison Control Center, with approximately 55 percent involving children under the age of 6. Unintentional poisonings happen in a matter of seconds and often come in innocuous and unexpected forms. To raise statewide awareness of the dangers Skyler Thurman 1st Place Winner Poison Prevention Poster 2010
of poisoning, National Poison Prevention Week is scheduled for March 20 through 26. The Oklahoma Poison Control Center, the host of Oklahoma's Poison Prevention Week, will partner with the Oklahoma SAFE KIDS Coalition and the Oklahoma Department of Education in the National Poison Prevention Week Poster Contest. The contest is open to children in grades one through five, with a first-, second- and third-place winner in each grade. Winning posters from the Oklahoma contest are sent on for national judging. The posters selected as national winners become part of the National Poison Prevention Week media campaign for the following year. The winning posters are viewed across the country in schools, state capitols, hospitals, daycare facilities and many other locations. Oklahoma has produced 10 national winners in the past nine years, including last year's winners, Skyler Thurman and Kayla Handle of Maryetta Schools, who took first and second place in the younger division of the National Poison Prevention Poster Contest. The Oklahoma poster winners will be invited to the state Capitol on Thursday, March 24, for an awards ceremony in their honor. They will be presented with a certificate of achievement and a citation by their district senator and/or legislator. Pictures will be taken to commemorate the event. After the event, winners, families and special guests will return to the Oklahoma Poison Control Center for a pizza party, where they will be honored with certificates and prizes. For more information on National Poison Prevention Week and the Oklahoma Poison Prevention Poster Contest, please call Shannon Holcombe or Shirley Christie at (405) 271-5062. Pharmacists and registered nurses at the poison center are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call the Poison Help-line at (800) 222-1222. Do not e-mail the poison center or a member of the poison center staff, as poisoning emergencies are not handled through e-mail. The Oklahoma Poison Control Center is a program of the University Of Oklahoma College Of Pharmacy at the OU Health Sciences Center. For more information, please visit

JOIN THE OKLAHOMA PHARMACISTS ASSOCIATION FOR 2011

2010-11-02T09:43:00.000-07:00

A pharmacists’ involvement as a member in professional organizations is one of the most valuable career tools available to you, no matter the stage of your career. Your pledge to support OPhA as a member in 2011 underscores the importance of a strong professional association which continues to represent the best interests of its members. Advocating for our members and promoting the value of the pharmacy profession to legislators and policymakers is an important priority for OPhA. To accomplish this, we continue our efforts to address legislative and regulatory issues that affect our profession. We also strive to keep our members informed about state legislative and regulatory activities through action alerts and newsletters. Moreover, your membership in the association is vital in our efforts to development professional educational programs, which improve your ability to deliver quality patient care. The people that you meet and the friends that you make through membership are some of the biggest benefits and your closest allies as we fight to keep pharmacy a rewarding, stable and lucrative career path in Oklahoma. Notably, your financial support through membership will play a vital role in our efforts to pass significant Pharmacy AUDIT reform language during the 2011 Oklahoma legislative session.

Please stand with us in 2011 by renewing INDIVIDUAL memberships today!

Voting For or Against SQ 744 - It's your Call!

2010-09-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

State Question 744 would require Oklahoma to fund common education at the regional average. Estimates are that if SQ 744 passes, it could cost an additional $1 billion or more per year out of the state’s current $6 billion budget. This could be disastrous for funding other state programs such as healthcare, transportation, higher education, and corrections - - every program receiving state funding. However, current polls show it ahead by a margin of 60% to 40%. More Information on SQ744

Senate action on Elimination of 1099 Tax Requirements:

2010-08-31T13:49:00.000-07:00

The National Community Pharmacists Assn. (NCPA) continues to work closely with NFIB and its coalition stakeholders to repeal or narrow the expanded 1099 reporting requirements for small business under the new health care reform legislation. The provision would require businesses to provide a 1099 form to any entity from which they purchase more than $600 in goods and services, starting in 2012.

Two bills were introduced earlier this year that would eliminate the new 1099 requirement. The Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act has 23 cosponsors in the Senate (S. 3578, introduced by Senator Johanns, R-NE) and 160 cosponsors in the House (HR 5141, introduced by Representative Lungren
R-CA).

Senator Johanns’ legislation will be voted on as an amendment to a Small Business Jobs Bill when the Senate returns in mid September. Another amendment offered by Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) will also be voted on. This amendment would exempt payments made by credit or debit card. It also increases the payment threshold to $5,000 (up from $600) for the year for payments made for property (i.e. goods). Second, small businesses with 25 or fewer employees would not have to issue a form 1099 for payments made for property, regardless of the payment amounts.

The efforts to repeal this requirement appear to be picking up steam as Senate Democrats acknowledge this issue will have to be addressed when Congress returns in the fall. CONTACT YOUR CONGRESSMAN... NCPA is supporting a repeal of the 1099 requirements because of the burdens they will place on small pharmacies.

DME Accreditation Exemption and Competitive Bidding: H.R. 5235,

2010-08-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

The Medicare Access to Diabetes Supplies Act was recently introduced by Reps. Welch (D-VT) and Rogers (R-MI). This legislation would exclude diabetic supplies provided by small pharmacies from DME competitive bidding. The bill defines small pharmacies using the SBA definition of $7 million or less in annual sales. Excluding these supplies from competitive bidding is important for small pharmacies because they will unlikely be able to effectively participate in the competitive bidding program. That will reduce beneficiaries' access to diabetes testing supplies. The 20 House members that have sponsored this bill are: More Information

An Oklahoma Pharmacist and Business Man Contending for a Senate Seat.

2010-08-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

Robert Standridge is running for the Oklahoma State Senate and he is a pharmacist that wants to make changes and be a voice for pharmacy in Oklahoma. Every Oklahoma Pharmacist needs to get engaged in the political game. You can get involved by helping Robert with a contribution to his campaign. If you would like to learn more about him, go to his website

Drug Video "Road to Nowhere" are you interested?

2010-08-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

The prevention of prescription drug abuse by our state’s youth requires the united effort of all members of the community. As the gatekeepers of prescription drugs, pharmacists are a vital link in the chain and can have a dramatic impact on preventing prescription drug abuse. Pharmacists, as prescription drug experts, have a unique opportunity to provide education about the dangers of the misuse of medications among teenagers, and provide education about the prevention of diversion to their parents. Pharmacists are doing middle school presentations! View Video

Disney’s Approach to Quality Service

2010-08-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Oklahoma Pharmacists Association is proud to partner with Oklahoma City University to bring Disney’s Approach to Quality Service for Healthcare Professionals program, presented by the world renowned Disney
Institute, to the Oklahoma City area on September 28th, 2010. Every pharmacy, hospital, clinic, group medical practice, dental practice, or freestanding medical care provider has the opportunity to distinguish themselves through the delivery of quality services. A one-day local workshop, Disney’s Approach to Quality Service for Healthcare Professionals program will show you the importance of attention to detail in everything Disney does -- from training its Cast Members employees) to treating every Guest (patient) as a VIP. You will hear the stories and see how Disney best practices can be easily adapted to your healthcare delivery organization. More Information

Key Provisions of Comprehensive Health Care Reform Legislation

2010-03-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday,Wednesday 25th, both chambers of Congress passed H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. The Senate adopted the measure by a vote of 56-43 earlier in the day while the House approved the legislation, along with technical revisions made by the Senate, late this evening. H.R. 4872 will now go to President Obama's desk and will likely be signed by the end of the weekend. See Key Provisions

Legislature, Henry Battle Over Funds from Reserve

2010-02-15T13:51:00.000-08:00

Legislative leaders are leaving Gov. Brad Henry few options as they remain $260 million apart amid negotiations on how to solve Oklahoma’s budget woes.
Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee said Wednesday the Legislature wants Henry to use federal stimulus money to ease budget cuts for education and health care – blocking the governor’s plan to use more money from the state’s Rainy Day fund.
“As far as I’m concerned, we have an agreement,” Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, told Associated Press. “We’ll send him the bills.” Read More

Instructor needed to teach the Pharmacy Tech class at Seminole State University

2010-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Looking for an experienced Pharmacist (7+ years) to teach the 9 week class that starts on March 9, 2010 and will run on Tuesday and Thursdays from 6:00-9:30. We provide the curriculum, syllabus, tests, test answer key and all of the materials. The position is designed so that the instructor will have very little preparation time outside of the classroom. The pay is $50.00 an hour. Interested Pharmacists, can contact Kathlyn Gibbs directly 1-(866) 296-8036 OR 703-444-4449 and send their resume to me at kathlyng@condensedcurriculum.com

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry believes the state has too many agencies

2010-02-05T12:17:00.000-08:00

Governor Henry he wants to combine some of them.

With the state’s billion-dollar-plus budget hole in the background, Henry and his chief budget negotiator, state Treasurer Scott Meacham, have called for the consolidation of 16 state agencies. “Oklahoma seems to be near the top of the nation in the number of agencies we have,” Meacham said last week, during a press conference to introduce the administration’s budget proposal. “I think, certainly, if we roll up our sleeves and work on it, we can figure out a way to create a significant reduction.” Under the governor’s plan, those agencies would be combined with others to create a savings, Henry said, of $5.3 million. Currently the state has about 180 publicly funded agencies.
In his budget, Henry has proposed combining: See More

BY M. SCOTT CARTER
The Journal Record

Pharmacy Impact of the President’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2011 Budget

2010-02-02T06:35:00.000-08:00
President Obama kicked off the annual budget process today with the release of his Fiscal Year 2011 Budget proposal. Over the coming weeks, members of the Cabinet will go to Capitol Hill to defend the Administration’s proposals through a series of hearings. After the Administration has the opportunity to defend its proposals, Congress will pivot to the consideration of their FY 2011 Budget Resolution. Read More for Pharmacy

Earlier this week, the future of health care reform was significantly altered.

2010-01-27T08:39:00.000-08:00
On Tuesday, Republican candidate Scott Brown (R-MA) won a special election to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy. Brown’s election means that Republicans now have 41 members in the Senate, thus ending the Democratic “supermajority” of 60.

Senator-elect Brown opposed the current health care reform efforts and his election would enable Senate Republicans to filibuster any health care compromise. In light of the Massachusetts election, Congressional Democratic leadership and the Obama Administration have been working throughout the week to develop a strategy to move forward. Although a broad overhaul of the health care system seems less likely now than in previous months, lawmakers are considering a number of strategies that could help achieve the President’s top domestic priority. While many ideas have been offered, with just a few days to digest the impact of the Massachusetts election, no decisions have been made regarding the next steps for health care reform. Some key Members of Congress, such as Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), are asking for a brief recess from health care reform to focus on other issues including, unemployment and the economy.
Read what's next with HCR

Reports also indicate that the House will vote on the merged HCR bill by January 25.

2010-01-18T13:32:00.000-08:00
APhA sent out an Action Alert to all APhA members on the merging of the pharmacy provisions in the House and Senate health care reform proposals - the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) - into a final health care reform bill.
Reports indicate that the House and Senate are on the verge of finalizing the merger of their health care reform bills. From what we understand, the bill will be transmitted to the Congressional Budget Office to score the bill's cost in the next few days. If true, the release of the final HCR bill will be sometime next week. More Information

FOR YOUR INFORMATION-- Re: PROPOFOL 1% injection

2010-01-05T14:19:00.000-08:00
In response to recent concerns about offers for certain Propofol 1% injection products that appear to be outside of the established distribution pathway, FDA's Drug Shortages Team would like to share the following information, which may be of interest to your members:
Propofol 1% Injection has been in short supply for approximately 2 months due to manufacturing issues. In response to the drug shortage, APP Pharmaceuticals is shipping Fresenius Propoven(r) 1% (propofol 1%) Injection directly to hospitals/surgery centers from their Chicago, IL location. Purchase of Propoven(r) through any other source (also known as "gray market distributors") is not recommended because the quality of the Propoven(r) from another source cannot be assured. Any offer to sell Propoven(r) by an entity other than APP Pharmaceuticals should be reported to drugshortages@fda.hhs.gov.
For additional information:

In preparation for the 2010 Oklahoma Legislative Session, the following update

2010-01-05T07:39:00.000-08:00
1. The Oklahoma State Legislature by requirement of the State Constitution will convene for the 2010 Session on Monday, February 1st.
2. Also per the State Constitution, the 2010 Session must adjourn no later than the last Friday in May -- in 2010 that is May 28th.
3. The deadline for requesting bills to be introduced in the 2010 Session has passed and bills are now being written by Legislative Staff. We expect that we will start having access to "some bills" by sometime in early in January. Based on prior years, we hope to have the majority of bills available for review by mid-January. We will be reviewing these bills and will be developing a tracking list.
4. The state's revenue picture for next year continues to look bleak. The National Conference of State Legislature's recently recognized the Oklahoma State Budget as the most "upside down" -- with a projected shortfall of 18.5%. Arizona was second on NCSL's list with a shortfall of 18%, while Illinois was third at 16.5%. It will not be a good year, as major spending cuts are expected in all areas.
5. There is still discussion of a Special Session in January to deal with the shortfall in the current fiscal year that ends on June 30, 2010. However, the cost of a Special Session is estimated to be approximately $100,000 per day, so there are those who are encouraging to wait until the Legislators all come back to Capitol for regular session.
6. Earlier in the year to deal with the shortfall, monthly allocations to State Departments and Agencies were reduced by 5% per month, across the board. As the shortfall numbers have grown worse, the Legislative Leadership and Governor have agreed to increase the reduction to 10% per month. It is expected that that amount of reduction will still not be sufficient to get through to year's end, and so additional cuts are expected.
The Oklahoma Pharmacists Association.

NCPA has put together a checklist to make sure you are prepared: There will be some key changes starting January 1st

2009-12-28T06:58:00.000-08:00
• If You Want to Get Paid, Better Tell Medicare How You Got the 'Script
o Prescription Origin Code will be required on all new Medicare Part D prescriptions.
• Staff Training on Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Prevention is a Must
o Make sure your staff is trained and that their education is documented.
• Prompt Pay—No More PBM Foot-Dragging
o Medicare Part D sponsors must pay retail pharmacies within 14 days.
• WARNING: Some Products Covered Today May Not be Tomorrow
o The 2010 FDA non-matched list has been released.
• Low-Income Subsidy Program Under New Management
o POS Facilitated Enrollment is now Limited Income NET with a new enrollment process.
• DMEPOS Accreditation Takes Effect in January
o Take action immediately if you are planning to become accredited.
• Do you have a breach notification plan in place?
o Enforcement penalties begin in February for improperly handled protected health information breaches. The full checklist with specific dates, explanations, resources at NCPA members only section

NCPA on Passage of Senate Health Reform Bill: Positive Pharmacy Provisions Included

2009-12-24T10:53:00.000-08:00
Alexandria, Va. - December 24, 2009 The U.S. Senate has passed its health care reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It has to be reconciled with the House's version of the bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act of 2009, which passed in early November. Several provisions affect the nation's nearly 23,000 community pharmacies and the millions of patients they serve. In response, Bruce T. Roberts, RPh, president and CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) issued the following statement:
"We appreciate that both chambers of Congress have attempted to restore some of these cuts. We prefer the Senate language in general because it would help assure that pharmacies would be paid more adequately, and has other important changes we believe are critical to assuring Medicaid patients access to community pharmacies. We implore the negotiators to, at a minimum, adopt the Senate version. More Information

Health Care Reform- Washington Latest Senate Schedule, December 23

2009-12-23T09:12:00.000-08:00
• The Senate will convene at 9:45am on Wednesday, December 23 to resume consideration of H.R. 3590, their health care reform bill. From 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the Senate will proceed to alternating blocks of time.
• At 2:13 PM, the Senate will proceed to a series of up to 5 roll call votes in relation to the health care reform bill, including votes in relation to points of order, adoption of the Reid substitute amendment, and cloture on the underlying bill, HR 3590. Under an agreement reached on Tuesday, if cloture is invoked, all post-cloture debate will expire at 8:00 AM Thursday, December 24.
• Under the same agreement, upon disposition of HR 359o, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of H.R. 4314, an act to permit continued financing of government operations, with no amendments in order. The Senate will then proceed to vote on passage of the bill. Passage of HR 4314 will require 60-affirmative votes. Related Pharmacy Issues include in HCR Senate Bill!

HCR Update for Tuesday, December 22

2009-12-22T08:13:00.001-08:00
Early this morning, the Senate cleared another procedural hurdle to passage of their health care reform bill. Reports indicate that by identical votes of 60-39, Senate Democrats three times set aside Republican objections to the legislation and moved the bill one step closer to passage, including approval of a manager's amendment offered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) Dec. 19. An additional procedural vote is likely Dec. 23 before final vote is taken Dec. 24 on the final bill.

Government Affairs Update - Week Ending December 19, 2009

2009-12-21T07:54:00.000-08:00
Health Care Reform: As of Saturday night, it looked like the Senate was on track to pass its version of a health care reform bill right before Christmas. This morning, Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) released the “manager’s amendment”, which made all the changes to the original combined Senate health care bill that he needed to make to be sure he had 60 Democratic votes to stop debate on the bill and move to final passage. Passage of the Senate bill will set up a conference with the House to reconcile the two bills. The stated goal is to have the final bill to the President by the State of the Union address, which is in later January. Read More from NCPA

Oklahoma Collaborative Medication Therapy Management Language- Proposed RULES

2009-12-18T18:34:00.000-08:00
OSBP Executive Director John Foust, Dr. Tom Davis and OPhA Executive Director Phil Woodward met this morning with the State Medical Examiners’ office and the Osteopathic Board to discuss the Collaborative Medication Therapy Management draft language to be placed in the Oklahoma Pharmacy Practice Act rules. Discussions to be continued. MTM Draft Language_Rules

HCR Bill information from Senate Majority Reid's office regarding timing

2009-12-18T11:13:00.001-08:00
'We will have a cloture vote on the message from the House on the defense conference report at 1 a.m. Friday morning. We would then have a vote on final passage on the bill at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Following passage of the DoD bill, Senator Reid would file cloture on the manager's amendment, substitute amendment and the underlying bill on health care. This would set up the first cloture vote on the manager's amendment on Monday morning at 1 a.m. The second cloture vote on the substitute amendment would be Tuesday at 7 a.m. And, the cloture vote on the underlying bill would be Wednesday at around 1 p.m. We could get an agreement to wrap up and have a final passage vote on the 23rd, however Republicans could continue to not cooperate and force us to have a vote on final passage on Christmas Eve. We then need to deal with the debt limit. If we get consent with the Republicans, we could vote on that before we leave for Christmas. If not, we will have to come back the week between Christmas and New Years to vote on that.'

The 15th day of official Senate debate on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) resumes at 10:00 a.m. today.

2009-12-16T08:01:00.001-08:00
Few changes to the bill have been made on the Senate floor. Rather, Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) has been working behind-the-scenes on a manager’s amendment that will incorporate the necessary modifications to the current bill to secure the 60 votes required for passage.

As Reid looks to secure 60 votes, agreement on two highly-controversial issues remains elusive - abortion and the public health insurance option. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), a pro-life Democrat whose vote is crucial to passing health reform, was unable to pass his anti-abortion amendment. Nelson has previously stated that he would not support a bill that does not contain a strong prohibition on federal funding for abortions. Several senators are working to develop compromise language that will be amenable to both sides of the abortion issue.

As noted last week, a group of liberal and moderate Democrats sent a proposal to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) for analysis. This proposal would replace the public health insurance option with a national marketplace for individuals to purchase private health insurance plans. This proposal originally included a “Medicare buy-in” provision that would enable certain individuals aged 55-64 to purchase Medicare coverage. However, at the insistence of Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), the Medicare provision was dropped from the proposal. Senate Democrats await the results of the CBO analysis, which could come any time this week. The conclusions of the CBO review will be vital to the fate of health care reform in the Senate. More Information from APhA

From NCPA- Update On Medicaid Pharmacy Reimbursement AMP Fix:

2009-12-14T06:45:00.001-08:00
We are working with various Senate offices to get signatures on a letter being circulated by Senator Johnson (D-SD) to Senator Reid that asks for a higher Medicaid generic reimbursement rate for independent and small pharmacies. Additionally, the letter asks Majority Leader to ensure that any final bill includes at least the Senate language of “no less than 175%” weighted average AMP in an effort to fend off a compromise number with the House reimbursement, which is at 130% of the weighted average AMP. The need to fight for the Senate language is evident. The Senate's reimbursement level will restore $2.8 billion in Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement, while the House bill will only restore about $1.8 billion.

The House Congressional Community Pharmacy Coalition has circulated a letter among the community pharmacy coalition and the House Rural Health Care Caucus which urges House leadership to accept the Senate AMP fix provision which sets the FUL at no less than 175%, rather than the House provision which sets the multiplier at 130%. We are grateful for the assistance of Reps. Berry, Moran, Weiner, McMorris Rodgers, and Childers who are circulating the letter on behalf of the caucus.

More detail about the various MTM amendments that are being considered by the Senate as part of the health care reform package:

2009-12-11T09:47:00.000-08:00
1. Hagan Amendment: Senator Hagan (D-NC) has an amendment that is part of a broader amendment package of cost containment and quality measures offered by several Freshmen Dem Senators. The amendment would codify many of the Part D MTM changes proposed by CMS in its 2010 call letter, which are set to go into effect in January. NCPA is supporting this amendment.

2. Akaka Amendment (3109): Senator Akaka (D-HI) has an amendment that would establish a Part D "chronic care management" program for targeted individuals. This is the proposal that PCMA was floating earlier this year. Its a mail order proposal and we are opposing this. The bill also requires accreditation for pharmacies to participate in this program. All pharmacies are state licensed, and requiring pharmacies to obtain accreditation to dispense prescription medications is unnecessary. We understand consumer groups are being asked to endorse this amendment, so we are encouraging calls today into Senate offices to oppose.

3. Menendez Amendment (3110): Senator Menendez's (D-NJ) amendment would create a performance-based payment program for pharmacies in Medicare Part D. The existing Part D MTM program would remain in effect - however, certain patient groups could be eligible to participate in this new program and any willing Medicare Part D pharmacy would be able to participate. Pharmacies would be paid for closing adherence gaps in medication therapy, and the patients could chose the pharmacy they wanted to provide the service. Payments would be made from the Parts A and B Trust Fund, and this program could help demonstrate that prescription drugs and pharmacy services can have an impact on medical spending. While not perfect, we think its another step in demonstrating pharmacy services impact on medical spending, and moves us to a more performance-based model in Part D and maybe in other commercial payers.
Its not clear that any of these will make it into Senator Reid's managers amendment. Alot will depend on the score and any support or opposition.

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590).

2009-12-09T10:10:00.000-08:00
• As of last night, only 7 of the 290 filed amendments have been adopted. A list of those amendments is below; Sonnenschein’s tracking sheet of all amendments is attached.
• The key issues of debate continue to be abortion, the public option, Medicare cuts, and cost-containment.
• A group of ten Democrats have been meeting with Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) to work on a compromise and last night a tentative agreement was reached. The proposal has been sent to CBO for a score. We don’t expect to see the details until the CBO’s score is released but is rumored to replace the current public option proposal with: 1) allowing younger individuals to enroll in Medicare; and 2) allowing individuals to buy into a national health insurance market.
• Yesterday, a group of freshman D Senators introduced a cost-containment amendment that includes an amendment to improve Medicare Part D MTM. The amendment and a section-by-section analysis is attached.
Rumors are that Reid is pushing to finish by Christmas? Frosh Amendment

Proposed Placement of Carisoprodol Into Schedule IV

2009-11-25T12:33:00.000-08:00
The Deputy Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) issued a proposed rule to place the substance carisoprodol into Schedule IV of the Controlled Substance Act. This proposed rule is based on a recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services and on an evaluation of the relevant data by DEA. Data from several databases shows that carisoprodol is abused in the United States. A number of states regulate carisoprodol under their controlled substance regulations. Written comments regarding the proposed federal rule must be submitted and postmarked by December 17, 2009 or submitted electronically before midnight EST on December 17. More information is available in the Federal Register and can be accessed at Regulations.gov using docket number DEA-333.
See More at NABP

IACP Letter to Senator Chris Dodd Regarding Investigation of Tamiflu Pricing

2009-11-24T07:05:00.000-08:00
If anyone from our congressional delegation has asked you about Tamiflu Pricing and/or if you've heard the OK state AG's office is investigating, I thought the letter IACP sent to US Senator Chris Dodd may be helpful.

Dear Senator Dodd:
On November 18, 2009, you issued a press release requesting that the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Attorney General investigate perceived price gouging by some pharmacies that provide compounded Tamiflu suspension for children. On behalf of the membership of the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP), the national organization representing providers of personalized medication solutions, I can assure you that we do not condone the alleged activity you suggest is occurring. While IACP does not engage in the marketplace or pricing methodologies, perhaps we can provide some insight that will help you and your staff better understand this unique and important component of pharmacy practice. Read More

PECOS implemenation will be delayed until 4/5/2010…

2009-11-23T17:55:00.000-08:00
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will delay, until April 5, 2010, the implementation of Phase 2 of Change Request (CR) 6417 (Expansion of the Current Scope of Editing for Ordering/Referring Providers for Claims Processed by Medicare Carriers and Part B Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs)) and CR 6421 (Expansion of the Current Scope of Editing for Ordering/Referring Providers for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Supplier Claims Processed by Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractors (DME MACs)). CRs 6417 and 6421 are applicable to Part B claims only.
The delay in implementing Phase 2 of these CRs will give physicians and non-physician practitioners who order items or services for Medicare beneficiaries or who refer Medicare beneficiaries to other Medicare providers or suppliers sufficient time to enroll in or take the action necessary to estabish a current enrollment record in Medicare prior to Phase 2 implementation.

Senate Votes on Motion to Proceed -Saturday November 21 ,2009

2009-11-21T21:56:00.000-08:00
This evening, the Senate voted 60 to 39 to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed to consideration of its health reform bill, clearing the way for further Senate consideration of healthcare reform. The vote was along party lines and should not be interpreted as an indication that Senate Leadership currently has the number of votes it will need to pass a final bill off the floor when debate begins post Thanksgiving. A number of moderate Democrats suggested they'd vote to allow debate to occur on the bill by voting for the motion to proceed, but would withhold their commitment to vote on final passage pending the outcome of key issues (e.g. public plan, abortion, treatment of illegals, taxes).

The Senate will now recess until after Thanksgiving, whereupon debate on the bill will resume and likely continue until the end of the year.

Senate Schedule for Health care Reform

2009-11-18T07:27:00.001-08:00
• 5:00 today, Senator Majority Leader Reid is releasing the Dem HCR bill to the Dem caucus.
o CBO numbers and bill text will be made available then. Initial rumors are they are $15B short and looking to PhRMA to make up the difference.
o Reid will file for cloture on the motion to proceed on HCR. The motion will be filed on the shell/vehicle which will not be the House HCR bill. Instead, it will be a revenue bill that was generated in the House. That means, they may not even address the House bill.
• If cloture is invoked, debate on the motion is limited to 30 hours.
• Once the cloture motion is adopted and they are on the bill, Reid would offer his substitute.
• 48-50 hours to read the bill. It would take consent to dispense with the reading and Republicans are prepared to stay and switch their Senators on and off the floor to protect against the Democrats calling off the reading of the bill.

Health Care Reform Update - Senate Activity

2009-11-09T09:11:00.000-08:00
• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) continues to work to combine the Senate Finance Committee and Senate HELP Committee health care reform bills. Reid is waiting to introduce legislation until the CBO has completed its analysis and he has secured the necessary 60 votes required for Senate passage - a more difficult task than he originally envisioned.
• The Senate bill will include a public health insurance option that allows states to opt-out, a compromise that Reid hopes will attract the necessary Senate Democratic moderates to reach 60 votes.
• Senate Democratic leaders hope to release a final merged Senate health care reform bill after Veteran’s Day, which could enable Senate debate to begin the week of November 16. Even if Senate debate begins in two weeks, debate will continue into December because of the reduced November calendar. Because of time constraints and the desire to pass legislation this year, Reid has informed Members that the Senate will likely be in session on Saturdays throughout December. However, the Senate may be unable to pass health care reform legislation this year, which would push the debate into 2010 (an election year).

OPhA Pharmacy Law Seminar 2009

2009-11-04T11:03:00.000-08:00
It's time once again for the annual OPhA Pharmacy Law Seminar. Eight (8)hours of Oklahoma State Board Approved CE credits for 2009. Date and Location for the event will be Sunday, December 6 in Oklahoma City at the OUHSC University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy. Topics include Pharmacy Safety & Security, Lawful Prescibing & Prevention of Diversion, The Controlled Substance Act: Issues for the Practicing Pharmacist, and other informative CE presentations. For more information & Registration...

New Point of Sale procedure via Humana: Very Important

2009-11-04T07:05:00.000-08:00
Of High important: Pharmacists should understand the new Point of Sale procedure for dual eligibles who are not yet assigned to a Medicare Part D plan.
Beginning January 1st 2010, Humana will now operate the POS program. If you look at the details, Humana allows for retro billing of up to 36 months and also an open formulary. Keeping Optimistic, this should make life easier for pharmacists and beneficiaries.
Here is the link. Please note that there is a downloadable 4 step cheat sheet that pharmacist should keep handy. If they are having issues, they should call the Humana help desk for resolution.

Pharmacies on Advance Compounding of Tamiflu Oral Suspension

2009-11-03T13:18:00.000-08:00
Commercially manufactured Tamiflu for Oral Suspension (12 mg/mL) is the preferred product for pediatric and adult patients who have difficulty swallowing capsules. However, preparation of an oral suspension from the 75 mg Tamiflu Capsules, as described in the FDA-approved labeling resulting in a concentration of 15 mg/ml, may be necessary when the commercial suspension, Tamiflu for Oral Suspension (12 mg/ml),for more FDA...

CMS Announces 21% Payment Cut for Physicians

2009-11-03T08:07:00.000-08:00
WASHINGTON -- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)confirmed the planned 21.2% physician payment cut for 2010 in a final rule released Friday. The reduction in physician payments for next year is tied to the sustainable growth rate... full story

Critics: DEA crackdown denies some patients pain medication

2009-10-28T13:43:00.000-07:00
Heightened efforts by the Drug Enforcement Administration to crack down on narcotics abuse are producing a troubling side effect by denying some hospice and elderly patients needed pain medication, according to two Senate Democrats and a coalition of pharmacists and geriatric experts.

Tougher enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act, which tightly restricts the distribution of pain medicines such as morphine and Percocet, is causing pharmacies to balk and is leading to delays in pain relief for those patients and seniors in long-term care facilities, wrote Sens. Herb Kohl (Wis.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.).

The lawmakers wrote to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. this month urging that the Obama administration issue new directives to the DEA and support a possible legislative fix for the problem, which has bothered nursing home administrators and geriatric experts for years.

The DEA has sought to prevent drug theft and abuse by staff members in nursing homes, requiring written signatures from doctors and an extra layer of approvals when drugs such as morphine and Percocet are ordered for sick patients.

The law, however, "fails to recognize how prescribing practitioners and the nurses who work for long-term care facilities and hospice programs actually order prescription medications," Kohl and Whitehouse wrote. They concluded that delays can lead to "adverse health outcomes and unnecessary rehospitalizations, not to mention needless suffering."

Most nursing homes do not have pharmacies and doctors on site, adding to delays for patients who fall ill in the middle of the night and in their transition from hospitals to long-term care facilities.

Justice Department and DEA officials had no immediate comment. The DEA sent out guidance last summer in response to some of the pleas but it did not resolve the central issue of whether a nurse could serve as an agent of a doctor and administer pain medication with a verbal directive rather than a written prescription from a doctor.

The problem took on new urgency this year after the drug agents heightened their enforcement of the rules at pharmacies in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Virginia. The pharmacies face tens of thousands of dollars in fines if they deviate from strict controls that require doctors to sign paper prescriptions and fax them to a pharmacy before a nurse can administer them in the nursing home setting.

"The system is broken. It isn't working and patients are suffering," said Claudia Schlosberg, director of policy and advocacy for the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. "While we need to ensure there are proper controls on the medications, the overall law enforcement concern has to be compatible with meeting patients' needs and right now, it's not."

Doctors in nursing homes say the restrictions do not take into account that many more patients, with higher levels of illness and pain, are moving into long-term care sites and out of hospitals.

William Smucker, medical director of the Altenheim Nursing Home in Ohio, said that the "delay is not what I would want for myself or my family, and it's not the way I practice in other settings."

Terence McCormally, a doctor who cares for patients in nursing homes in Northern Virginia, said the tug of war reflects "the tension between the war on drugs and the war on pain."

"Prescribing narcotics in a long-term care facility seems to be more of a nuisance than it needs to be," McCormally said. "For the doctor and the nurse it's a nuisance, but for the patient it is needless suffering."

By Carrie Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 28, 2009; 2:55 PM

Health Care Reform Update

2009-10-28T13:29:00.000-07:00
Some HCR highlights for you to consider:
• The public plan remains the top hot button. Because some are opposed to a government run public option, the public option may be termed a “consumer” option that will be run by a non-government entity.
• There will be two cloture (stop debate) votes: 1) to proceed to debate on the floor of the Senate; and 2) to proceed with a vote. Both cloture votes can be filibustered. Some say that the votes are in for the first cloture vote – to proceed to floor debate; it’s the second vote that’s trickier. While some Senators may support moving the process along, they may not be ready to support the proposal.
• We understand that before any Senate bill is released, it will have received a score from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). But what was just sent to CBO was not an entire bill; rather, it was a set of different options that could be included in a final bill. CBO could release a score on these provisions by the end of next week. However, that timing could be delayed because CBO must also score the House bill. The Senate will wait for a CBO score before voting. The House isn’t under any such restraints.
• We may see the merged Senate bill the week of November 9. Reid wants to get their bill done by Thanksgiving. But there may not be enough time to do so. So now we are looking at the December holidays for a potential end to this battle.

America's Healthy Futures Act /Senate Finance

2009-10-13T13:24:00.000-07:00
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE PASSES HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL
Today the Senate Finance Committee passed America's Health Future Act, a health care reform bill that includes several provisions ensuring the ability of community pharmacies to continue providing critical services to patients.

PBM TRANSPARENCY AMENDMENT IN THIS BILL
The amendment from Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) will lead to transparency regarding the deals pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs)—the administrators of prescription drug plans—reach with drug manufacturers. Currently, PBMs retain much of these payments before sharing the rest with employers and patients. PBM profits have ballooned—up 20 percent last year alone—at the expense of everyone else confronting higher insurance premiums. While PBMs claim transparency increases costs, a thorough analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) deemed it budget neutral. Ultimately, savings will be found as a result of this transparency provision, as Medicare, the Pentagon, and the State of Texas are experiencing, among others.

Health Care Reform Update - Washington

2009-10-09T09:35:00.000-07:00
House: The major issues that must be resolved in merging the three House committee proposals: rates (negotiated rates vs Medicare-based) in the public option; increases to the small business exemption; reductions in affordability credits; matching rates for Medicaid expansions; funding for co-op health plans; advance care/end-of-life counseling; geographic variations in Medicare rates; cost of minimum benefit plan for non-subsidized families; single payer; small employer options through the exchange; extension of the small business tax credit to non-profit employers; comparative-effectiveness research; CHIP costs; how to approach the territories; abortion; and medical malpractice.

Senate: Reports indicate that Senate Finance will vote on its mark this week. Given that today is Thursday, that leaves tomorrow (Friday). We also understand that the merging of the Senate HELP and Finance proposals is well underway and we may see something next week. We anticipate that the merged Senate bill will be on the Senate floor for many weeks.

District Meeting Tonight

2009-10-06T14:33:00.001-07:00
Looking forward to meeting everyone at Hard Rock!

Urge Your SENATORS to Support PBM Transparency in Health Reform— Don't Give PBM Lobbyists the Last Word!

2009-10-06T09:00:00.000-07:00
Well-funded PBM lobbyists are blanketing Congress with lies and deception. Call your Senators TODAY to ensure final Senate health reform legislation includes critical provisions requiring PBMs to disclosure their enormous fees. This legislation will achieve a new level of transparency that will help plans keep premiums and out-of-pocket expenses down for your patients. Transparency helps reduce drug costs but there is no meaningful Federal or state requirement that PBMs disclose to public or private payers how they conduct business. The facts speak for themselves. PBMs are driving up health care costs by billing plan sponsors much more than they reimburse pharmacies and keeping large shares of manufacturer rebates, among other practices. We need to ensure our patients receive the drugs they need at a fair price. It is only through transparency that health plans will be able to confirm a PBM is securing the lowest drug costs, and to make sure PBMs operate within the interests of the patients and health plans they are meant to serve. We need to ensure your lawmakers know the facts.

Please contact your Senators today. Find your Senators' phone number here or contact the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. A switchboard operator will connect you directly with the Senate office you request.

PBM Transparency

2009-07-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

NCPA Expert to Testify on Pharmacy Benefit Manager Abuses
At Senate Hearing Tomorrow

(Alexandria, Va.) – Arkansas pharmacist Mark Riley, Secretary-Treasurer of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and Executive Vice President of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association, will testify at a Senate Commerce Committee Hearing tomorrow entitled “Competition in the Health Care Marketplace.”

Riley’s testimony will focus on his expertise regarding the lack of transparency and accountability for pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs); the anti-competitive effects of the merger of CVS, the nation’s largest chain pharmacy, with Caremark, one of the largest PBMs; and their detrimental impact on patients and health plan sponsors.

WHO: Mark Riley – NCPA Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Vice President of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association

WHAT: “Competition in the Health Care Marketplace.”
Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance

WHEN: July 16, 2009, 10:00 AM EDT

WHERE: Room 253
Russell Senate Office Building
Constitution Avenue and 1st Street, NE
Washington, DC 20510

LIVE STREAM: The Committee’s hearings are typically Webcast at this URL: http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.LiveStream