Dear Member,
Synergy - Strategic Planning Conference
CPhA staff and members from around the state are meeting this weekend for our strategic planning conference, Synergy, in Sacramento. A reminder, Saturday night will be the Hall of Fame induction dinner and anyone interested in attending should call CPhA today for more information. I will provide a full recap of the meeting in next week's message.
SB 966
I want to take this opportunity to clarify the outcome of SB 966. After many rounds of amendments, the final bill made "drug take back" programs in California voluntary. Pharmacies wishing to participate may do so and more information about how this will work will be coming in the months ahead. In the meantime, I've included information about this bill as signed by the governor.
Bill as signed by the Governor: In its final form SB 966 requires the California Integrated Waste Management Board, subsumed under the California Environmental Protection Agency, to develop, in consultation with appropriate state, local, and federal agencies, model programs for the collection and proper disposal of pharmaceutical drug waste. The model programs would be required to include, at a minimum, specific actions and informational elements and would be required to be available to eligible participants no sooner than July 1, 2008, and no later than December 1, 2008. The bill provides that its provisions shall not apply to a controlled substance, as defined. Participant is defined in the bill as "any entity which the board deems appropriate for implementing and evaluating a model program and which chooses to participate, including, but not limited to, governmental entities, pharmacies, veterinarians, clinics, and other medical settings."
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Kathy Lynch at klynch@cpha.com or (916) 779-1400, ex: 322.
NASPA Call
On Monday, a conference call was hosted by the National Alliance State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA). The states have come together in a stronger and more highly coordinated way, now that Becky Snead is the full-time executive director. During the call we discussed actions that need to be taken to support recently introduced federal bills that will provide relief for pharmacies in a number of ways. These bills include AMP, Tamper Resistant Prescriptions, Prompt Pay and others. CPhA staff and members are working diligently to submit letters and to contact our Congressional leaders about these issues. If you have questions or comments, let us know and we'll keep you posted as these move forward.
NCPA/NACDS Lawsuit
On Wednesday, a lawsuit was filed by NCPA and NACDS against CMS in regard to Average Manufacturer's Price (AMP). This suit seeks to stop AMP implementation. This action is what we have all been waiting for and hope that the point of law they have chosen to base the lawsuit on will provide an argument that will prevail. We are told that they have engaged highly regarded attorneys for this effort. We'll do whatever we can to support this legal action. Please click here for more information. In the meantime, we will continue to work with California lawmakers in case this effort fails. We'll keep you posted.
Grassroots Advocacy
On Tuesday, Kathy Lynch spent the day in Southern California as part of CPhA's grassroots lobbying efforts with NACDS. The group, along with pharmacist members from both Associations, met with Senator Alex Padilla and Assembly Member Hector De La Torre to discuss the anticipated effects of AMP on pharmacy. We've scheduled several more legislative visits to occur over the next few months. These meetings are one of the many ways CPhA will be engaged in to update Legislators regarding the severe cut being imposed on pharmacy from the new reimbursement methodology coming from the federal government.
e-Pedigree Coalition
On Wednesday, Kathy Lynch attended an e-Pedigree Coalition meeting in Sacramento. There were representatives from various manufacturer's, wholesalers and other pharmacy providers. The Coalition met to discuss the issues surrounding the current e-Pedigree implementation date of January 1, 2009. The implementation of the e-Pedigree law, originally passed in 2004, will be an issue that requires a lot of attention on the part of all members of the supply chain in 2008 and going forward until the ultimate implementation of the law. CPhA is working to ensure that pharmacist's interests will continue to be considered by the Board of Pharmacy and the supply chain partners as all move forward towards implementation.
USC Legislative Day
This morning, the American Pharmacy Student Alliance (APSA) hosted its annual Legislative Day Breakfast and Health Fair Screening at the University of Southern California University Park Campus. The purpose of the event was to discuss, during a formal breakfast, current topics and issues in healthcare. Assemblymembers Ed Hernandez and Mike Eng and Board of Equalization Vice Chair, Judy Chu participated in the event, along with approximately 200 student pharmacists, pharmacists, USC faculty, local media, and community leaders. A number of CPhA members were in attendance including Victor Law, David Breslow, David Fong and others. It was outstanding event.
Safe Medicine Disposal Symposium
On Thursday, CPhA President-Elect, Paul Lofholm participated in a panel discussion (Industry and Non-Profit Initiatives) for the Safe Medicine Disposal Symposium in Rohnert Park, CA. The purpose of the symposium was to raise public awareness and to develop community solutions to prevent the pollution of waterways from pharmaceutical contaminants.
Website Meeting
Annette Todaro Smith, Erin Moeller and Michelle Ornelas participated in an Affiniscape meeting for all the Associations in the Sacramento area that are planning to switch website platforms. Associations, including state pharmacy associations all over the country, are moving to Affiniscape for a fully integrated IT platform. We are impressed by the company's product line and functionality, and are considering a full switch for CPhA.
New Proprietary Forms Now Available
New versions of Medi-Cal and Child Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) proprietary forms are available from Medi-Cal. Providers are encouraged to start placing orders for the updated proprietary forms as soon as possible in preparation for full implementation of the National Provider Identifier (NPI). The old versions of the proprietary forms may still be used during the dual use Provider Identifier period, which has been extended beyond the original November 26, 2007 cutoff date, and will continue until further notice. When the supply of old forms runs out, providers may begin using the new forms. Only the Medi-Cal or CHDP provider number is required on the old or new forms during the extended dual use Provider Identifier period. For a listing of the proprietary forms that have been revised to accommodate use of the 10-digit NPI, please click here.
H.R. 971 - The Community Pharmacy Fairness Act
Earlier this week, the House Judiciary Committee agreed by voice vote to report out of Committee H.R. 971, the Community Pharmacy Fairness Act, setting the stage for a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives. This is an enormous victory for all independent pharmacies. We are now one step away from passing this legislation in the House of Representatives. This vote is the product of countless phone calls from pharmacists like you. We have come a long way in the past year, garnering 176 co-sponsors, and now a favorable committee vote because of YOUR involvement. We will keep you updated as further progress is made.
New Board of Pharmacy Website
The Board of Pharmacy recently updated and re-designed its website, which you may view at http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/.
Save the Date
The next presentation in the My Health. My Medicare. series of audio-conference training sessions sponsored by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be held on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 from 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. EST. You can download the PowerPoint slides for this session on the morning of the call by visiting the National Medicare Training Program website by clicking here. Find and click Audio-Conference Training in the menu on the left, scroll down to Downloads, and click on the Handouts for the date of the call.
Upcoming CE with Home Study Component
APhA is holding a "Pharmacy-Based Lipid Management" certificate program in the San Francisco area on December 16, 2007. Registration is only $49 (it usually costs close to $300 per person). There is an 11-hour home study component that you will need to complete prior to the 8-hour live training seminar. To register, click here.
In the News
The Baltimore Sun ran a great editorial about how the FDA is considering allowing pharmacists to dispense certain medications without a prescription for patients with common or chronic ailments. To read more, click here.
Question of the Week
Hi Lynn,
BTC drugs is going to be one additional way to show the benefit of the use of pharmacists in providing professional advice and counseling in the usage of these types of drugs. Is CPhA going to testify at the hearing? If not, will CPhA be providing comments in regards to this issue? Assuming that they are, could you please forward me such correspondence so that I can forward it to my local Congresswoman? Thanks in advance for your leadership on this issue.
Sincerely,
Alan Martin
Past CPhA President
Answer
Dear Alan,
We will be working closely with the other Pharmacy Associations around the country to make sure that this happens if we can help it. There are a lot of questions to be answered and collection of opinions and comment needed in order to mount an effective effort. I will send you anything that the group has produced so far and we will have our own comments when appropriate. All of the national organizations are working full time on this issue.
Thank you for the question.
Sincerely,