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Alert! Government Affairs Update February 22, 2012
Mercer is now conducting a Cost Of Dispensing (COD) study and Actual Acquisition Cost (AAC) survey as part of the new
Medicaid pharmacy pricing methodology. The Mercer Confidientality Agreement is posted on our home page.
The COD study will rely on community pharmacies completing surveys sent through the mail and posted on line by Mercer. Similar studies have been conducted in several states.
You can link to the Mercer/HCPF COD survey in the Members Only Section.
You can click here to see the study of Cost Of Dispensing nationwide study done by Grant-Thornton for NCPA and NACDS. State by state results are reported.
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Click here to view the Colorado Pharmacy Practice Act Sunset Report
Click here to view HB12-1311, The Colorado Pharmacy Practice Act bill.
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From The New Yorker
Letter From Nucla, Colorado September 26, 2011
Dr. Don
The life of a small-town druggist.
by Peter Hessler
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If you contract with the State of Colorado to provide Medicaid services. we strongly recommend you click on the above link
and got to Page 7 of the Bulletin to read the latest information. The Medicaid payment structure will change on September 23.
(The date was extended due to technical difficulties).
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Dr. Mark Riley, Executive Vice President of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association, has been an
outspoken critic of PBM business practices for many years. He has produced an excellent DVD in
which he outlines how PBM business practices are driving up prices and hurting community
pharmacies across the nation. Take a few moments to watch key excerpts from the DVD.
Click here to watch a video clip from Dr. Mark Riley's DVD about the business practices of PBMs: "Myths, Lies, and
Deception"
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New Colorado Medicaid Reimbursement Rule:
The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Finance will be adopting a new rule to change the pharmacy reimbursement methodology. Please click here to access information about the Rule Review Meeting of the Medical Services Board, Friday August 5, 2011, then click on the link titled MSB 11-05-12-A. (Posted Friday, July 29, 2011).
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From the Colorado Medicaid At A Glance Article July 29, 2011
Pharmacies: Receive Updates Fast
Would you like to receive updates regarding pharmacy related changes for Medicaid? Please send an email to Colorado.SMAC@hcpf.state.co.us and ask to be added to the email distribution list.
Pharmacies: Save the Date
In preparation for the upcoming pharmacy reimbursement changes, the Department and ACS will be hosting a webinar on August 29, 2011 from 1:30 – 2:30. The webinar will focus on general reminders and will provide information regarding the methodology that will be used for pharmaceutical reimbursement. Details for accessing the session will be posted on the Department Web site on August 1, 2011.
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NCPA has prepared a new presentation about the value of community pharmacy vs. mail order. To view, click on Member Login, select the Insider News tab and look in the Newsletter Archives.
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NCPA Legislative Conference Wrap-up:
"NCPA welcomed the introduction of key pieces of independent community pharmacy's legislative agenda last week during its 43rd Annual Conference on National Legislation and Government Affairs in Washington, D.C. The bipartisan Pharmacy Competition and Consumer Choice Act of 2011 was introduced in both the Senate and the House. Sens. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) are the chief sponsors of S. 1058. Pryor addressed NCPA's pharmacist rally on the grounds of the Capitol May 25 before the attendees fanned out to House and Senate offices for more than 200 scheduled meetings with lawmakers and their aides.
...(some text removed from original publication)
Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.) introduced H.R. 1946, which would allow groups of independent community pharmacies an antitrust exemption to negotiate contract terms with health plans and PBMs..
H.R. 1971 and S. 1058 would:
Another piece of good news during the annual conference was the introduction of a legislation that would exempt most independent community pharmacies from the Medicare competitive bidding program for diabetes testing supplies. Reps. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) did the honors with H.R. 1936, the Medicare Access to Diabetes Supplies Act. The bill also permits small, community pharmacies with 10 or fewer locations to continue providing home delivery of these products without them being subject to the future national mail order competitive bidding program.”
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RxPlus member named as a "Superstar”in Drug Topics magazine. Click here to see the story about Rick and Marge McCoy, owners of Lopez Island Pharmacy.
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Check out the Political Action Guide
Log in as a member, look under Member Services, Members Only, Legislative Updates, Political Action Guide 2010.
From the NCPA Web Site:
”Every community pharmacy has a new business partner with his own ideas about pharmacy. His name is Uncle Sam. We must ratchet up our political involvement to protect our businesses and our patients...” Bruce Roberts, NCPA Executive Vice President and CEO.
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