Pharmacy involves a lot of moving parts, and though some of those parts work in the background, they affect the health of your business and your patients. No one can advocate for your interests better than you! Join NCPA® and your peers in Alexandria, VA, April 26-27, for meetings with lawmakers to be an agent of positive change.
PBM Transparency Act and the Prescription Pricing for the People Act Reintroduced
Two pieces of legislation that will bring transparency to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) were recently reintroduced in the Senate.
PBM Transparency Act (S. 127): Provides clarity on how PBMs administer their pharmacy benefit and how the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces its authority to prohibit unfair business practices that increase prescription drug prices.
Prescription Pricing for the People Act (S. 113): Challenges the FTC to continue investigating PBM merger activity.
Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reintroduced bipartisan legislation for PBM reform, but it’s important that independent pharmacists contact their state senators and urge them to cosponsor the bills, so they make it onto President Biden’s desk to become law.
Experiencing issues with this printer? Watch a short video to ensure you’re tearing labels off correctly after they print.
Go to the Hub and sign in with your credentials. (Note: Not registered for the Hub, click here.)
Navigate to Training Materials > Training Videos.
Under the Webinars section, select Hardware.
A screen with a video queued up displays. On the right-hand side of the screen, under the “Select Your Product Version Playlist” dropdown, select ZD621. Two video options display.
Watch both Label Alignment and Tearing Label Technique for instructions on proper usage.
CDC Releases Updated ICD-10 Codes
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) released an update to the International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) codes for the current fiscal year. The codes should be used from April 1, 2023, through September 30, 2023. The list includes 42 new codes, seven deletions, and one revision. To search for codes, use the browser tool here.
The Biden Administration announced its intent to end the public health emergency declaration on May 11, 2023. Many PREP Act authorities will expire then as well if not already made permanent through federal and state legislation. A recent article from the Integra X Files® explores what pharmacists might expect after the emergency declaration ends.
PrimeCare® customers, tune in to this special episode as we highlight conversations in four key areas – Growth, Pharmacy Operations, Policy, and Technology – that provide actionable insights that can drive positive business outcomes. To listen to each conversation in full, check out the Featured Episodes.
The National Community Pharmacists Association released episode 4 – “Jumpstart My Travel Vaccine Program” – in its entertaining, educational reality series. Follow owner Laks Pudipeddi and the staff at Bridgeport Pharmacy as they expand their immunization services to include travel vaccinations for the customers in their community who take trips outside the country.
Missed the first three episodes? They’re available here.
NCPA is actively looking for ideas and sponsors for the next season. Interested pharmacists and industry professionals should contact education@ncpa.org.
