Various Physician and Pharmacy Systems Go Live on e-Prescribing of Controlled Substances

We are now beginning to see computer systems for prescribers and pharmacy become verified for theelectronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS).

As of this notice, the following systems have completed the process of becomingcertified and audited to connect to the Surescripts network for EPCSpurposes: 

• Physician application vendors
• DrFirst
• NewCrop
• NextGen
• RxNT

• Pharmacy application vendors
• Cerner Etreby
• Rite Aid
• SUPERVALU
• Walgreens

Additional vendors are expectedto go live in the near future.

  

If you do not see your pharmacyvendor listed here, we encourage you to contact your vendor and inform them ofthe physician vendors in your area that are approved for EPCS.

  

For more information, please click here for the announcement from Surescripts.

Virginia General Assembly Approves 2013-14 Budget

This week, the General Assembly approved the State budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year.  All items related to pharmacy have been included in the final budget.  Those items are:

• Transparency requirement for future contract administration of the State Employee 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
• Restoring funding for the Pharmacy Connection program
• Pharmacy Connect provides access to free prescription drugs, for adults without drug coverage, from participating pharmaceutical companies in Southwest Virginia
• Adds behavioral health drugs to the Medicaid Preferred Drug List (PDL)
• Behavioral health drugs were scheduled to be added to the Medicaid PDL in fiscal year 2014.  This amendment adds those drugs to the PDF one year early starting in 2013

 We will release more information once it is available on the MTM pilot program for the State Employees.

CMS Expands Medical Staff Definition to include APRNs, PAs, Pharmacists

On Wednesday, May 9th, CMS released new regulations that introduced a variety of changes in the hospital and health system setting including "broadened the concept of “medical staff” and have allowed hospitals the flexibility to include other practitioners as eligible candidates for the medical staff with hospital privileges to practice in the hospital in accordance with State law. All practitioners will function under the rules of the medical staff. This change will clearly permit hospitals to allow other practitioners (e.g. APRNs, PAs, pharmacists) to perform all functions within their scope of practice. (CMS has) required that the medical staff must examine the credentials of all eligible candidates (as defined by the governing body) and then make recommendations for privileges and medical staff membership to the governing body."

Click here for more information.

Fourth DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Event Collects Record 276 Tons

From the DEA's website: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/takeback_042812.html
 
May 03 (Washington, D.C.) – The American people have again responded overwhelmingly to the most recent DEA-led National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. On April 28th, citizens turned in a record-breaking 552,161 pounds (276 tons) of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at the 5,659 take-back sites that were available in all 50 states and U.S. territories. When the results of the four Take Back Days to date are combined, the DEA and its state, local, and tribal law-enforcement and community partners have removed over 1.5 million pounds (774 tons) of medication from circulation.

"We are pleased at the response of the American people once again, and we thank them for participating and contributing to the battle against prescription drug abuse,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart, who added that 4,268 agencies participated with DEA nationwide in Saturday’s event. “While a uniform system for prescription drug disposal is being finalized, we will continue to sponsor these important take-back opportunities as a service to our communities. Our take-back events highlight the problems related to prescription drug abuse and give our citizens an opportunity to contribute to the solution. These events are only made possible through the dedicated work and commitment of our state, federal, local, and tribal partners and DEA thanks each and every one of them for their efforts on behalf of the American people.”

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high--more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined, according to the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

Four days after the first Take-Back event in September 2010, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them. The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances. DEA is in the process of drafting regulations to implement the Act.

Medicaid Managed Care Pharmacy Resource Guide

The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services' managed care group has created a Pharmacy Resource Guide.   Included in the guide is the BIN and PCN number for each of the Managed Care Organizations (MCOs).

Click here for the Pharmacy Resource Guide.