• Bills to Authorize Pharmacist Hormonal Contraception Prescribing Introduced in House

    Published On: February 15, 2024Categories: Member News

    House Bills (HB) 5435 and 5436, sponsored by Reps. Kara Hope, D-Holt, and Stephanie Young, D-Detroit, were introduced earlier this week in the Michigan House of Representatives. The legislation, as introduced, would allow for pharmacists to issue a prescription for and dispense a hormonal contraceptive patch, self-administered hormonal contraceptive, or vaginal ring hormonal contraceptive to a patient. The legislation requires that the department promulgate rules governing this practice, which would include training requirements, the use of a self-screening risk assessment tool, and notify the patient’s primary care provider. The second bill in the package requires health insurers to cover contraception prescribed by a pharmacist, along with any necessary tests or assessments required to administer this service. If passed, the legislation would [...]

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  • FDA Allows Import of French Drug To Combat Bicillin L-A Shortage

    Published On: February 5, 2024Categories: Member News

    To help address the ongoing shortages of Bicillin L-A (penicillin G benzathine injectable suspension), the only drug that can be used to treat congenital syphilis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved temporary importation of Extencilline (benzathine benzylpenicillin) from French manufacturers Laboratories Delbert and Provepharm. The dosing and pharmacology of Extencilline can be located here. New Jersey-based Direct Success will be the sole U.S. distributor of imported Extencilline. The product will not be eligible for discounted purchasing via the 340b Drug Pricing Program. Because of that and because the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has sufficient stocks of Bicillin-L-A to treat high-priority populations until the shortage subsides, MDHHS will not be procuring Extencilline for centralized distribution [...]

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  • CMS Issues Letter to Insurance Plans and PBMs

    Published On: December 18, 2023Categories: Member News

    On Dec. 14, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), released a signed letter to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), Medicare Part D Plans, Medicaid-managed care plans and private insurance plans, outlining concerns it has about "certain practices by some plans and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that threaten the sustainability of many pharmacies, impede access to care and put increased burden on health care providers." CMS said it was particularly concerned about the sustainability of small and independent pharmacies, which can leave pharmacy services out of reach for people in rural and underserved areas if they close. CMS also said it was "very concerned" about payment practices that may "impede access to recommended vaccinations and it is imperative that [...]

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  • MPA-Backed Dispensing Fee Bill Signed by the Governor

    Published On: December 13, 2023Categories: Member News, MPA Press Releases

    House Bill 4276, sponsored by Rep. Alabas Farhat, D-Dearborn, and endorsed by the Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA), was signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Dec. 7, 2023. The new legislation requires that Medicaid-managed care organizations (MCO) utilizing a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reimburse pharmacies with seven or fewer retail outlets for drug products at the lesser of: the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) plus a professional dispensing fee; the Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC) plus a professional dispensing fee; or the pharmacy’s usual and customary fee “This is a major win for independent pharmacy in the state of Michigan,” said Eric Roath, MPA director of government affairs. “MPA has successfully advocated year-after-year to have these dispensing fee protections included in [...]

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  • Medicaid Pharmacy Reimbursement Bill Passes out of the Michigan House, Heads to Senate 

    Published On: October 26, 2023Categories: Member News

    House Bill 4276, sponsored by Rep. Alabas Farhat, D-District 3, passed out of the Michigan House of Representatives on Wednesday, Oct. 25, by a vote of 105-4. HB 4276 would require that Medicaid-managed care organizations (MCO) utilizing a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reimburse pharmacies with seven or fewer retail outlets for drug products at the lesser of: the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) plus a professional dispensing fee; the Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC) plus a professional dispensing; or the pharmacy’s usual and customary fee. The bill also mandates that the MCO move to a transparent pass-through pricing model and that the PBM disclose its administrative fee as a percentage of the professional dispensing costs to the Michigan Department of [...]

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