Pharmacists included in loan repayment program

National Health Service Corps grant program supports health care providers in underserved communities.

Pharmacists are now included in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP), which gives grants to states to operate their own loan repayment programs for primary care providers in medically underserved areas.

For the first time, participating states, including Virginia, have the option to expand their programs to include pharmacists and registered nurses. These professions join physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dental professionals, and mental health professionals on the list of eligible professionals.

“Pharmacists are often an important source of information and counsel in their communities and are increasingly a key member of the primary care team,” Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) spokesperson Michelle Daniels told pharmacist.com. “The National Health Service Corps aims to support health care providers who will increase access to care in underserved communities. Providing states additional flexibility to meet the unique needs of their underserved communities benefits the patients the State Loan Repayment Program is designed to serve.”

The SLRP funding opportunity is competitive and requires states to apply online by June 5. The majority of states participate in SLRP, according to a map on the NHSC website. State participation in SLRP requires matching funds by the state and administration of the program by a state agency. States that apply and are selected can then set up their program to fund pharmacists, Daniels said. "So individuals should be aware that there probably are not any immediate opportunities. They would need to contact the individual SLRP states to see if they will have LRP for pharmacists in the future."

A federal government program, NHSC is administered by HRSA, part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

For more information, please visit the APhA website by clicking here.

General Assembly Passes Budget: Transparency and MTM for State Employee Health Plan

Late in the afternoon on Wednesday the Virginia General Assembly passed the 2013-14 budget.  Included in the budget are numerous items that impact the profession of pharmacy.  They include:  

• Transparency requirement for future contract administration of the State Employee health insurance program
• The language requires that future contracts for the State Employee health insurance program include provisions which ensure the Department of Human Resource Management has complete access to all financial information regarding the contractors administration of the health insurance program

• Prohibits the establishment of a retail maintenance network for maintenance drugs for the State Employee health insurance program

• Creation of a Medication Therapy Management pilot program for the State Employee health insurance program.
• The Department of Human Resource Management shall develop a proposal to implement a Medication Therapy Management pilot program for state employees with certain disease states including Type II diabetes 

VPhA worked with budget conferees in providing information for the Transparency language for the State Employee health insurance program.  In addition, EPIC Pharmacies, VACDS and VPhA worked very closely with the General Assembly on the inclusion of the MTM pilot program.  

Governor McDonnell will now have until early May to review the budget and offer any amendments and/or vetos.  While these items are HUGE wins for patient access to pharmacy services, changes to any of these items could be a possibility.  We will let you know if the Governor decides to make any changes to the budget that would have an impact on the above.  Even with possible Governor amendments, the General Assembly can still overrule the Governor, which they will be returning to Richmond on May 14th to address.  Please watch your email, fax machine and phone lines for updates on the budget process.

Board of Pharmacy Regulatory Activity - Change to run-dry requirement for automated counting devices

A public comment period is currently in progress to receive public comments on changes to run-dry requirements for automated counting devices. The purpose of the proposed regulatory action is modification or elimination of the current requirement in 18VAC110-20-355 regarding the requirement for bulk bins in an automated counting device to be "run dry" every 60 days. Comment on the requirement indicates that the 60-day requirement may be unnecessary and could be extended to six months or longer, or the "run dry" could be eliminated if concerns about expired or recalled drugs in the bins can be appropriately addressed. The goal of the amended regulation would be a requirement that protects the safety and efficacy of the drugs to be dispensed to patients in a manner that is reasonable and the least burdensome to pharmacies that use such devices.

A public comment period is open until April 25th to provide public feedback on the potential regulations

• Details on the petition can be found at: http://www.townhall.virginia.gov/L/viewstage.cfm?stageid=6094

To submit comments on the proposed regulations to the Virginia Board of Pharmacy, please visit: http://www.townhall.virginia.gov/L/entercomment.cfm?stageid=6094

Improving Patient and Health System Outcomes through Advanced Pharmacy Practice - A Report to the U.S. Surgeon General 2011

The Virginia Pharmacists Association echoes the findings in the Improving Patient and Health System Outcomes through Advanced Pharmacy Practice released in January from the Office of the Chief Pharmacist, U.S. Public Health Service.

In a letter released from Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, U.S. Surgeon General, she states, "This report provides the evidence health leaders and policy makers need to support evidence-based models of cost effective patient care that utilizes the expertise and contributions of our nation's pharmacists as an essential part of the healthcare team."

Key recommendations of the report:

1. Health leaders and policy makers should further explore ways to optimize the role of pharmacists to deliver a variety of patient-centered care and disease prevention, in collaboration with physicians or as part of the healthcare team.
2. Utilization of pharmacists as an essential part of the healthcare team to prevent and manage disease in collaboration with other clinicians can improve quality, contain costs, and increase access to care.
3. Recognition of pharmacists as health care provider, clinicians and an essential part of the health care team is appropriate given the level of care they provided in many health care settings.
4. Compensation models, reflective of the range of care provided by pharmacists, are needed to sustain these patient oriented, quality improvement services.  

The full report and the support letter signed by Dr. Benjamin are included for your reference, and will be accessible at:  http://www.usphs.gov/corpslinks/pharmacy/.