Current
Issues
Emergency
Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP)
– Ike Activation (PDF - 29.57KB)
(September 12, 2008)
HHS
Provides Prescription Drug and Durable
Medical Equipment Assistance for Uninsured
Texas Victims of Hurricane Ike (September
12, 2008)
Emergency
Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP)
- Gustav Activation (PDF - 55KB) (Revised
9/10/2008)
HHS
Press Release - HHS Provides Prescription
Drug and Durable Medical Equipment Assistance
for Uninsured Louisiana Victims of Hurricane
Gustav (September 6, 2008)
Warner-Chilcott
Letter - 340B Pricing Errors (September
5, 2008)
IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION
(September 1, 2008) - Due to the public
health emergency created by recent hurricane
activity, the Office of Pharmacy Affairs
has implemented the published 340B
Drug Pricing Program Flexibilities During
Disasters policies and is temporarily
accelerating the start dates for new sites
so that they may immediately begin participation
in the 340B Program.
340B
Drug Pricing Program Flexibilities During
Disasters (June 26, 2008) - During
disasters, HRSA can help by making it
easier for entities already covered by
the 340B Drug Pricing Program to dispense
pharmaceuticals to displaced patients
and by making it easier for new entities
to register for the 340B Program in counties
with federal major disaster declarations,
federal emergency declarations, and federal
public health emergency declarations.
Schering-Plough
Letter - Refunds to 340B Covered Entities
(May
15, 2008)
Schering-Plough
Letter – Limitations on Contraceptives
(May
15, 2008)
HRSA issues Medicaid
Exclusion Tutorial and Medicaid Exclusion
File Basics for the 340B Covered Entities
billing Medicaid for the 340B Drugs -
March 2008
Patient
Safety & Clinical Pharmacy Services
Collaborative - HRSA will adopt best
practices in patient safety and clinical
pharmacy services to improve health outcomes
and reduce adverse events.
BARR
Labs letter to 340B Covered Entity
(Acrobat/pdf) - Refund checks are mailed
to covered entities for overcharges.
“My
Medicine List” Helps Health Care
Professionals and Patients Keep Track
of Medications
The American Society of Health System
Pharmacists (ASHP) Foundation and ASHP
have developed a tool that health care
professionals can use with their patients
to help keep track of their medications.
For more information visit the ASHP
Foundation web site. (not
a U.S. Government Web site)
New
health literacy tools for pharmacies
Individuals with limited health literacy
are much more likely to be unable to tell
the difference between their medications
or understand basic medication instructions
and warning labels. Health literacy is
a particular problem for people who are
elderly, minorities, immigrants and/or
poor. The Agency for Healthcare Quality
and Research documents the problem in
its 2006
National Healthcare Disparities Report
and provides two new tools:
New - STD
and TB Entities Registration Now Available
Online
The new feature in the Office of Pharmacy
Affairs Database now allows the new STD
and TB Entities to register online as
an alternative to the 340B
Registration Form.
Barrier
Therapeutics enters into agreement with
340B Prime Vendor (Acrobat/pdf) -
Inpatient Hold Harmless Letter
Pharmacist’s
Guide to Pandemic Preparedness
(Acrobat/pdf) - (not a U.S. Government
Web site)
The document provides pharmacists with
key elements to consider in preparing
for pandemic influenza. It was developed
collectively by the American Pharmacist
Association (APhA), American Society of
Health System Pharmacists (ASHP), and
National Association of Chain Drug Stores
(NACDS) Foundation.
CMS
Releases Tamper-Resistant Prescription
Pad Information(Acrobat/pdf)
The law requires that all written, non-electronic
prescriptions for Medicaid outpatient
drugs must be executed on tamper-resistant
pads in order for them to be reimbursable
by the federal government. In the letter
to the State Medicaid Directors dated
August 17, 2007 (Acrobat/pdf), CMS
clarifies a prescription pad must contain
at least one of three characteristics
to be considered tamper resistant on October
1, 2007.
Dear Manufacturer
Letters
VA
Will Exempt Inpatient Generic and OTC
340B Sales from FSS Reporting
The Office of Pharmacy Affairs has been
notified that the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) will allow pharmaceutical
manufacturers to exclude the sale of 340B
inpatient generic and over-the-counter
(OTC) drugs from their Federal Supply
Schedule (FSS) reporting requirements.
As a result, manufacturers may now offer
340B discounts on inpatient generic and
OTC drugs without affecting the prices
that they are required to provide to FSS.
VA
letter to Manufacturers dated July
8, 2004 (Acrobat/pdf) 07/08/2004 and a
Sample
request for a "hold harmless"
letter (Text File)
As
of this date, the OPA has received hold
harmless letters from:
Pharmion
Corp., Boulder, CO (Labeler code 67211)
Bedford Laboratories, Bedford, OH (Labeler
code 55390)
Bausch & Lomb, Tampa, FL (Labeler
code 24208)
Eisai, Inc., Woodcliff, NJ (Labeler code
58063)
Élan
Pharmaceuticals, Inc., South San Francisco,
CA (Labeler code 51479)
This
list will be updated as additional hold
harmless letters are received.
non-Federal
Average Manufacturer Price Calculation
Archived
Information
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