Happy Easter

The proposed 1 percent cut in Medicaid dispensing fees is the biggest issue facing pharmacy during this run-up to the 2011 legislative  session. TPBC consultants will fan out to visit with key legislators about other ways the Texas Health and Human Services Commission can achieve the legislative leadership's mandate for a 5 percent across-the-board cut in the state agency budgets for the next biennium.

Today I am providing written and oral testimony at a Texas Department of Insurance stakeholders' meeting regarding a study mandated by SB 704/HB 4402 (PBM transparency and mail order parity). TDI is evaluating how PBMs use prescription drug information to manage therapeutic drug interchange programs and other drug substitution recommendations made by PBMs or similar entities.

Wednesday morning, TPBC will cover a meeting of the Senate State Affairs Committee to discuss the ERS Health plan shortfall.

Later that morning we will cover a special called joint meeting of the Texas Senate Health and Human Services and Senate State Affairs Committees that will be taking invited testimony regarding Senate Interim Charge #1 as follows:

Upon passage of federal legislation relating to reform of the health care industry and health insurance industry--

1. Study implications of such legislation on Texas, the health care industry, and public and private insurance.
2. Study and monitor implementation of insurance regulatory changes, changes to high risk pool, and any other insurance mandates.
3. Study health care policy changes and their effect on Medicaid and CHIP programs, as well as the state budget.
4. Assess the effect on all state uninsured and uncompensated care programs and county programs for the uninsured, including county property tax programs to pay for the uninsured.
5. Propose recommendations for the efficient implementation of programs.

Another interim study we are closely monitoring is a called for by SB 1757 by Senator Kirk Watson (D-Austin). The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is examining methods for disposing of unused pharmaceuticals so they do not enter a wastewater system. Drug take-back and disposal programs are available to pharmacies now, but we must be diligent to make sure any recommendations coming out of this committee do not place another unfunded mandate on community pharmacy.

As always, we continue to monitor the Texas Register for rules proposed by state agencies that impact community pharmacy. In the latest issue, HHSC proposes an amendment that adds language from HB 2030 to the Government Codes requiring HHSC ensure a Medicaid prescription is valid for the lesser of the period for which the prescription is written or one year. The current rule defined the life of a Medicaid prescription as five refills or six months. Pharmacy supports this change.

The Texas State Board of Pharmacy has proposed some rules we are looking at very closely. They concern prescription drug recalls by the manufacturer and professional responsibility of pharmacists. We have some concerns about the proposed rules and will be conferring with the TPBC Board and legal counsel to determine whether we will submit formal comments and testify in a public hearing. In addition, TSBP proposes amendments concerning personnel and operational standards for Class A pharmacies. Again we will be going through the same process as I described above.

Whew! Our plate is full. Stay tuned!


Richard E. Beck, RPh
Executive Director, Texas Pharmacy Business Council

A management consulting firm is conducting a comprehensive assessment of the Texas Department of State Health Services response to the H1N1 pandemic. One of the activities in the data-gathering phase of the project is to hold focus group sessions with key partners in the H1N1 response. Two focus groups that may be of interest to independent community pharmacists:

1. A focus group specifically designed for independent drug stores to review operational issues related to vaccine allocation and distribution, antiviral medication distribution, as well as other issues; and
   
2. A focus group with pharmacists from a variety of pharmacies to discuss issues related to both vaccine and antiviral medication allocation and distribution, as well as other pharmacy issues.   
   

Pharmacists traveling from outside Austin will be reimbursed for travel to and from Austin per DSHS guidelines.

Since the independent drug store focus group will focus on operational issues, it should include participants who can speak from that perspective.

Participants in the pharmacist focus group should be practicing pharmacists involved with the event (e.g., providing information to patients, providing vaccine, and dispensing antiviral medications from the state stock or aware of these processes). 
 

The independent drug store focus group is tentatively scheduled for the afternoon of May 12 in Austin, and the pharmacist focus group is tentatively scheduled for the afternoon of May 10 in Austin.

Please contact us if you can help with this process. It's a rare opportunity to influence processes that affect our business and our patients.