One Step Ahead of the Curve

The careless actions of the New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Massachusetts have recently put compounding pharmacies in the media spotlight. It is alleged by regulators that NECC skirted existing state and federal laws resulting in a meningitis outbreak.


Every pharmacist in the United States is trained to compound medicines. More than half of all local pharmacies provide specialized compounding services. Approximately 7,500 local pharmacies and 8,200 hospital and health institution pharmacies in the United States engage in compounding.

Oklahoma compounding pharmacists prepare drugs for people who can’t take conventional medications. They customize cancer medications, produce specialized drugs for children with autism and make intravenous solutions.

In short, compounding pharmacists fill the needs of patients that can’t be met by off-the-shelf, manufactured medications. These prescribed medications are prepared under strictly controlled conditions by specially trained compounding pharmacists.

Oklahoma has rigorous state laws governing the practice of pharmacy.

The Oklahoma State Board of Pharmacy is an advocate for patient safety and regulates over twelve hundred pharmacies in Oklahoma. Three years ago, the Board took far-reaching measures to further protect our citizens by adding extensive new product rules to Oklahoma’s Pharmacy Practice Act. The amended rules require that all compounding pharmacies in Oklahoma adhere and follow strict regulations set forth by the Board. I remain confident this will continue to ensure patient safety and efficacy for all prescription products compounded by pharmacies in Oklahoma.

The national media attention has increased calls for the Food and Drug Administration to step up regulations of pharmacies. Fortunately, Oklahoma has taken proactive steps by implementing increased state regulations and adopting the professional standards issued by the United States Pharmacopeial Convention.

Oklahoma remains ahead of the curve in protecting the safety of our citizens and will continue to work with state and federal officials to insure the strength, quality and purity of all medications.

Phil Woodward, BSPharm, Pharm.D

Executive Director

Oklahoma Pharmacists Association

Forced to Use Mail Order for Your Prescriptions!

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

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

- 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

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!

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:

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,

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.

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.