CMS issued a final rule that eliminates PBMs’ retroactive application of direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees, requiring they be reflected in the negotiated price the patient pays at the pharmacy counter. This creates greater transparency for patients and pharmacies and increases consistency for Part D plans.
The final rule merely moves the fees to the point-of-sale negotiated price. It does not eliminate them. The final rule includes all price concessions (including all DIR fees) in the negotiated price, at the pharmacy counter, beginning January 1, 2024 (contract year 2024).
Although the entire pharmacy community has pushed to eliminate retroactive DIR fees, how the final rule is implemented could still create some financial uncertainty. It’s important pharmacies critically analyze the details of PBM contracts to evaluate the financial impact to their business and stay alert to how PBMs will implement the requirements of the final rule.
Our national pharmacy organizations and pharmacy leaders have done a great job bringing light to the dark business practices of many PBMs. However, more must be done to address their harmful and anticompetitive business practices. A 2024 implementation date gives PBMs ample opportunity to ensure the final rule does not negatively impact their financials. Ed Vess, Director of Pharmacy Professional Affairs, will discuss the CMS ruling and how you can adapt at our July 27 townhall. Learn more and register here.
The Customer Success team is a key part of our strategy to ensure you receive first-rate service and an overall great customer experience. Our Customer Support staff is your first line of contact for resolving issues and answering questions. Our Customer Success Managers (CSMs) step in when you have needs that are outside the scope of a typical support call. This could be facilitating training, exploring new features, or assisting with non-support-related items.
Exciting news! You can now contact the Customer Success team via our award-winning RedSail Hub. If you need help, open a ticket on the Hub and choose Training / CSM from the Request Type dropdown. A CSM will promptly respond.
This change allows us to provide faster responses to your requests and also ensures you have an easy way to connect with a CSM.
The Bosentan REMS Program will transition to a new system in June 2022. After 8:00 PM (ET) on June 24, your pharmacy will no longer receive a pre-dispense authorization (PDA) through the RelayHealth Intelligent Network (“switch”) or any other alternative switch. The Contact Center and the website will be unavailable beginning at 8:00 PM (ET) on Friday, June 24 through 8:00 AM (ET) on Monday, June 27.
The new Bosentan REMS will go into effect on June 27. To dispense prescriptions for Bosentan products, your pharmacy must obtain a Bosentan PDA for each outpatient prescription by logging into the Bosentan REMS Program website or by calling the Contact Center at 866.359.2612.
Beforehand, your pharmacy should:
Educate staff involved in the dispensing of Bosentan about these changes.
Write down your Enrollment ID, which you can find within your profile in the current Bosentan REMS website. You need this information to verify your account upon first login to the new system.
NCPDP News
Congratulations to long-time customer, Christian Tadrus, R.Ph., Pharm.D., FASCP, NSC, who was newly elected to the NCPDP Board of Trustees in April. The new Board members assumed their roles at the meeting of the Board of Trustees in May.
Accessible Prescription Labels to Overcome Vision & Language Barriers
You can better ensure medication adherence and safety for your patients with visual or language barriers by offering ScriptAbility accessible prescription labels. ScriptAbility is a labeling solution developed by En-Vision America®. It’s an easy-to-use, cost-effective application that allows pharmacies to provide their patients with ScripTalk Talking Labels, ScriptView Large Print Labels, Dual Language/Translated Labels, Braille Labels, and Controlled Substance Safety Labels (CSSLs).
Through integration with QS/1’s pharmacy management system, pharmacists can quickly produce these accessible prescription labels. Instead of entering the patient’s information in the application, all prescription and patient details auto populate through a few simple clicks.
For more information and to get signed up today, call 800.890.1180 or email sales@envisionamerica.com.
Connect is sold out, and we can’t wait to host attendees in beautiful, charming Nashville, TN. If you haven’t done so already, check out the robust Class Schedule to plan your experience in a way that best benefits your pharmacy.
This one-of-a-kind conference, curated especially for independent pharmacies, will leave you with Aha! moments and actionable insights. Opportunities to listen, learn, engage, and connect are boundless.
To ensure the highest quality performance and receive the most up-to-date software enhancements, we encourage you to download Service Pack 19.1.37. Service pack enhancements include foreign language labeling law updates, partial fill improvements, and more! Download the latest service pack from the Hub here or update from within your system.
