Insight Spring 2020

Spring 2020 | 6 Spring 2020 | 7 25% 10% 08% 33% 24% NALOXONE Industry News Pharmacists are on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic battle. During this time of social distancing, pharmacy staff are working tirelessly to find ways to keep filling prescriptions for patients. QS/1 has created a guide to resources that can help pharmacies rethink traditional workflow to serve patients and keep themselves safe. Go to www.qs1.com/covid/ for the list of resources and tips. The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has also released guidelines detailing the roles that pharmacists in community, hospital, and clinical biology should play in preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV. The document was developed by an emergency taskforce organized by FIP following the World Health Organization’s declaration that the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency. “Since pharmacies are often the first point of contact with the health system...it is important that the whole pharmacy workforce is well informed and prepared,” said taskforce CDC Issues 2020 Immunization Schedule Changes The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its 2020 child and adolescent immunization schedule in early February. The schedule includes changes in the recommendations for hepatitis A and tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccines. The guidance schedule for routine vaccines is updated each year. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to approve the changes. The group also approved changes to the adult 2020 schedule. Adults up to 26 years of age who aren’t fully vaccinated should receive the catch-up HPV vaccination. The full changes to the child and adolescent schedule are available at www.cdc.gov/ vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child- adolescent.html . The adult schedule can be found at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/ hcp/imz/adult.html . Source: American Academy of Pediatrics NCPA ® Endorses Bill Banning PBM Pricing Tactics The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) is endorsing a bill that would ban the use of spread pricing by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in Medicaid managed care. The Drug Price Transparency in Medicaid Act, H.R. 5281, was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Earl Carter (R-Georgia) and Tony Cárdenas (D-California) in December 2019 and has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. PBMs can currently overbill Medicaid managed care programs and keep the difference, often referred to as “the spread.” This bipartisan measure would ban that practice. “Time and time again, PBMs have been caught using tactics like spread pricing to take advantage of the system, lining their pockets while harming patients and the taxpayers they are supposed to serve,” said Karry La Violette, NCPA’s senior vice president of government affairs. “We’re grateful to Reps. Carter and Cárdenas for recognizing the problem and for their leadership in putting forward a proposal to stop this abuse. We look forward to working with them to advance this bill.” NCPA cites several studies that indicate PBMs are using spread pricing as a way of overcharging taxpayers. Source: NCPA Study: Ohio Naloxone Orders Increase The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that found a significant increase in naloxone dispensing rates in Ohio. The increase is being attributed to an Ohio law that allows pharmacists to dispense the drug without a prescription. Researchers looked at patients 18 years of age or older who had at least one order of naloxone dispensed through Ohio Medicaid or a Kroger Pharmacy in Ohio from July 16, 2014 to January 15, 2017 and April 23, 2018 to July 7, 2019. The results discovered the dispense rate increased by 2,328% from 191 in the pre-policy period to 4,637 after the law was changed. Source: Pharmacy Times ® Pharmacies Critical in COVID-19 Battle chairperson Jane Dawson. Among the many suggestions in the 30-page report, FIP urges pharmacies to designate a pharmacist to take charge of the procurement, storage, and distribution of key medicines, and to adjust the inventory as needed. You can read the full report at https://www.fip.org/coronavirus. Source: FIP