On March 27, 2014 Nova Products Inc of Aston, Pennsylvania issued a nationwide recall of several lots of its natural supplements: African Black Ant (Lot# 2006-000926), Black Ant (Lot# 2006-3627878), XZen Gold (Lot# 130310GL), ZXen Platinum (Lot# 130520PL), XZen 1200…
Category: News Feed
NCPA Seeks Congressional Probe of “Preferred Pharmacy” Part D Plans
The Senate and House Small Business committees should examine the unintended consequences for independent community pharmacies and patients that have resulted from Medicare Part D “preferred pharmacy” prescription drug plans, NCPA told lawmakers last week. “Small business community pharmacies across…
Pharmacists Blame Patient Fears on DEA
March 12th, 2014 by Pat Anson, Editor Pharmacists and patient advocates say the results of a survey by the National Pain Foundation show that a crackdown on prescription painkillers by the Drug Enforcement Administration is causing fear and confusion in…
CVS Being Investigated After 37,000 Pain Pills Go Missing
By Chris Morran March 11, 2014 The shelves of pharmacies are full of pills, tablets, capsules, and liquids that are worth a lot of money, especially to addicts. So when more than 37,000 prescription pain pills vanish from handful of…
Provider Status Bill Focuses on Underserved, Earns NACDS’ Backing
Bipartisan House bill seeking to designate pharmacists as healthcare providers in Medicare leverages pharmacists’ education and training Arlington, Va. – Bipartisan legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today that would designate pharmacists as healthcare providers under the…
Fight for Your Right to Compete in Part D
It is critical that you contact Medicare and Congress by a March 7 deadline in support of a proposed rule for Part D that includes several positive elements for community pharmacists and their patients, including an any willing provider provision.…
New PSE OTC Requirement – Must start by April 5, 2014
Pharmacy Manager, This email is to update you on the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx) project in Pennsylvania. In compliance with HB 602 Act 53 the state has contracted Appriss to deliver NPLEx to all pharmacies/retailers within Pennsylvania. The NPLEx…
AUTO-FILL Regulations Part D Plans
I would advise pharmacy providers to read their contracts carefully, because this is a contractual issue between them and the Part D sponsors. However, if you read the high-lighted section, it should answer most of your questions. SUBJECT: Clarifications to…
PSAO’s
I have been receiving calls at the office about the PSAO’s and the fact that they are signing contracts on your behalf THAT YOU ARE NOT HAPPY WITH. In most cases these PSAO’s have a committee made up of store…
NCPA Pharmacy Communications Bureau News & Notes – January 2014
Medicare Proposes to Open Preferred Part D Networks to Any Willing Provider On January 6, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a proposed rule that would open preferred networks offered in Medicare Part D plans to any…
ATTENTION: Avoid Take-Backs on Pre-Printed DEA Numbers on Prescription Forms!
PPA is aware of instances where auditing entities are denying claims and recouping 100% of the claim and refills for prescriptions that have a preprinted DEA number on them. They are citing PA Controlled Substance Requirement 25.53(e), which prohibits preprinting…
Sign the Petition Regarding ACT 207
Dear Store Owners: Do you want to stop mandatory mail-order plans in Pennsylvania? Do you want to stop differential co-pays in Pennsylvania? Do you want to be able to have these customers return to your store? OK, but we need…
Audit Look Backs: How Long Is Long Enough?
NCPA supports Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) for his letter to key House committee leaders questioning the wisdom of PBMs being able to audit Part D pharmacies on 10-year-old claims. “If there are bad actors in pharmacy they certainly should be…
NCPA, NACDS Poke Holes in PCMA Part D Preferred Network Study
A study paid for by the PBM/mail order lobby, Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, is under fire from community pharmacy groups. NCPA and NACDS pointed out in a letter to CMS that the study makes a number of questionable assumptions in…
NCPA Backs the Medicare Efficient Drug Dispensing Act
Last week NCPA sent a formal letter of support to Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) on his bill that would ensure that waste and unnecessary Medicare expenses are minimized in LTC facilities. The legislation, S. 1493, prohibits Part D plan sponsors…
Compounding/Pedigree Bill Inching Towards President’s Desk
The Senate is nearing a final vote on long-pending legislation that would protect community pharmacists’ right to compound medicines and also require tracking of prescription drugs as they move through the supply chain. The bill, H.R. 3204, cleared a Senate…
American Pharmacists Month Highlights Importance of Pharmacists in Patient Care
American Pharmacists Month, observed throughout the month of October, recognizes the significant contributions to health care and the commitment to patient care by pharmacists in all practice settings nationwide. During this time, consumers are encouraged to consider the theme, “know…
California Enacts Two Laws Aimed to Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse
Governor Brown signed two bills into law that aim to reduce prescription drug abuse by enhancing the state’s prescription monitoring program (PMP) and by making it easier for the medical board to investigate patient records after a suspicious death. The…
California Expands Scope of Pharmacy Practice With New Law
A new California law, signed by Governor Jerry Brown on October 1, 2013, will expand the scope of pharmacy practice within the state and improve patient access to care. The bill would establish board recognition for advanced practice pharmacists who,…
Hospira Inc Recalls One Lot of 1% Lidocaine HCI Injection After Report of Particulate Matter
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Hospira, Inc, of Lake Forest, IL, have issued a voluntary recall of one lot of 1% Lidocaine HCI Injection, USP, 10 mg/mL, 2 mL Multiple-dose Fliptop Vial, National Drug Code 0409-4276-01, Lot 25-090-DK (the lot…
Buying Medications from Foreign Online Drug Outlets Risky, Partnership for Safe Medicines Says
An analysis on a recent report from the Group of 8 (G8) shows that rogue online drug outlets are an issue worldwide. The G8 has been collaborating to undermine counterfeit drug sellers through an agreement to exchange information according to…
House Compounding Legislation Introduced
Bipartisan legislation that would preserve state board of pharmacy oversight of the vast majority of independent community pharmacies that compound medications was introduced in the House last week. H.R. 3089 is sponsored by Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.),…
New Keysteone vendor – iMedicare
This is a program developed to help YOU help your patient questions about their Medicare options – be it Advantage programs, Supplement programs or Part D Rx Plans. You can sit down with your patient and an iPad and easily…
License Renewal Requirements
Attention Pharmacists! Don’t forget that for your next license renewal, you will need to show that you have 2 hours of your total continuing education hours on the topic of Patient Safety. Patient Safety qualifying topics are specifically identified by…
Speak Out on Compounding Legislation Before It’s Too Late
Congress returns from its summer recess Sept. 9 and swift action on Senate compounding legislation could come any time after that. NCPA has strong concerns about the compounding sections of S. 959, especially a proposed overly broad expansion of authority…
Reports: FDA says carve-out bills undermine trust in biosimilars
By Alaric DeArment NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration is concerned about bills in several state legislatures that seek to restrict pharmacists’ ability to dispense biosimilars, according to published reports. Biopharma-Reporter.com quoted an FDA spokeswoman as saying “efforts to…
From our vendor PrescribeWellness
“Support Pharmacist Reimbursement! Let’s get pharmacists paid for preventive services. Support our cause at PharmacistReimbursement.com Don’t forget to share with other pharmacists you know!” Pharmacist at the Center of Preventive Care With today’s alarming shortage of primary care physicians, and with 30…
NCPA – Update on Federal Healthcare Reform Implementation/Medicaid Expansion
July 16, 2013 Delay of the Employer Mandate In early July, the Obama Administration announced a delay of the 2014 employer mandate that would require companies with more than 51 full-time workers to offer their employees health insurance or face…
Bill to Expand Pharmacists’ Authority to Vaccinate Under Consideration in Pennsylvania Legislature
Pharmacists in Pennsylvania would be granted authority to vaccinate patients above the age of seven with a parent’s consent under two bills being considered by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The bills would also allow pharmacy interns to vaccinate under the…
NCPA Preview of 2014 CMS Final Call Letter
NCPA is pleased that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has recognized and addressed in the final version of its “call letter” many of the egregious PBM practices that NCPA has alerted the agency to over the last several…
Pharmacy Negotiations Bill Introduced
Independent community pharmacies could, under certain conditions, collectively negotiate the terms and conditions of insurance contracts they must sign with PBMs under a bill introduced by Reps. Tom Marino (R-Pa.) and Judy Chu (D-Calif.) last week. NCPA endorsed H.R. 1188, the Preserving Our Hometown Independent…
White House and Congressional Leaders Continue Talks to Avoid Cliff and Sequesters:
Negotiations continue between the White House and Congressional Leaders to come to agreement on all the tax provisions that are set expire at the end of the year and efforts are also focused on avoiding the automatic sequesters cuts that…
Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Members Announced:
As the new Congress continues to take shape, the Members of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee were announced:Chairman: Joe Pitts (PA), Vice Chairman: Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX), Ralph Hall (TX), Ed Whitfield (KY), John Shimkus (IL), Mike Rogers (MI), Tim Murphy…
NCPA Sends Letter to Defense Conference Committee on TRICARE Co-Pays:
On Friday, NCPA sent a letter to leaders on the House and Senate Armed Services Committee expressing our views on provisions in the defense bill that pertain to the TRICARE pharmacy program. The letter expresses our strong concerns about the…
2013 Health Care Reform Provisions Affecting Small Businesses:
Many sections of the health care reform law are set to be implemented in 2013. Of note to community pharmacy is the elimination of the deduction that employers receive when offering Part D coverage to employees. It is also worth…
Federal Legislation on Drug Compounding Introduced:
Congresswoman DeLauro (D-CT) and Congresswoman Lowey (D-NY) introduced legislation on drug compounding this week. Among other provisions, the Supporting Access to Formulated and Effective Compounded Drugs Act of 2012 would: · Notice to Patient: Require pharmacists to confirm with the patient that they are…
OPM’s Multi-State Plan Rule Released
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued a proposed rule to implement the Multi-State Plan Program (MSPP) pursuant to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Through contracts with OPM, health insurance issuers will offer at least two multi-state plans…
Top