Drug Topics - November 12, 2007 - (Page 15)

15 speaks a patient’s native language so that the patient may receive a consultation via telephone.” A Rite Aid spokeswoman stated, “We are cooperating with the New York Attorney General. To assist our nonEnglish-speaking patients at the pharmacy in areas where there is a large non-English-speaking population, we do our best to staff our pharmacy with bilingual pharmacists or technicians whenever possible. We are also able to print monographs in English and in Spanish. We also have the ability to print the label information in 12 different languages—11 plus English—if requested by the customer. The bottle label will be in English, and, as a secondary information source, we are able to print it in 11 different languages.” Thursday 11/1/07 CMS begins reassigning LIS beneficiaries CMS is contacting low-income subsidy (LIS) eligible beneficiaries with reassignment notices. Some beneficiaries have received a special notice if their plan’s 2008 premium has risen above the level of their subsidy. As many as 650,000 LIS beneficiaries currently enrolled in UnitedHealthcare plans in 16 regions may be switched to new plans because the firm’s premiums are above the benchmark price established by CMS. Reassigned beneficiaries are permitted to move to the new plan, stay in their current plan, or select a different plan. The notice also provides information about available zero premium plans. CMS has been criticized for its process of randomly reassigning LIS beneficiaries without paying attention to their medication needs and whether the new plan will cover them. N.J. pharmacy first in state to install solar panels Liberty Drug in Chatham, N.J., has installed 250 solar panels in an effort to reduce its energy costs and reduce pollution, according to a report in the Morris County Daily Record. The rooftop installation cost was approximately $500,000, but, according to owner Alan Brown, he paid only a third of the cost after state rebates offered by the New Jersey Clean Energy Program. Brown estimates it will take just seven years to pay off the investment. The 74-year-old pharmacy expects to use only solar power for its energy needs and can sell excess power back to the local power company. Liberty Drug’s reliance on renewable energy could reduce carbon dioxide emissions, a leading contributor to global warming, by 1.9 million lb. over 25 years. Wisconsin budget a mixed blessing for pharmacists Pharmacists praised the passage of the 2007-09 biennial Wisconsin state budget, which increased the dispensing fee by 50 cents, but they expressed frustration that Gov. Jim Doyle used his line-item veto to remove another provision that would have offset the expected impact of the average manufacturer price rule for Medicaid. The dispensing-fee hike actually rolls back a state rule that deducts 50 cents from reimbursements under the state-run Medical Assistance and BadgerCare programs. Doyle’s veto of the “holdharmless” provisions was not expected. The provision promised to keep Medicaid reimbursement stable, even if the AMP rule reduces pharmacy reimbursement. “We are disappointed by Gov. Doyle’s veto of hold-harmless provisions,” said Steven C. Anderson, NACDS president and CEO. “The legislature clearly understood the threat that these cuts pose for Medicaid patients’ access to prescriptions, but this veto leaves that threat unaddressed.” NACDS board member testifies on bidding for DMEPOS José Navarro of Navarro Discount Pharmacies recently testified on behalf of NACDS before the House Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight. The topic of the hearing was CMS’ competitive acquisition program for certain durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) and its impact on small business. Navarro said, “Retail pharmacies are the largest providers of DMEPOS services to Medicare patients and are in a unique position to monitor trends in disease and therapy outcomes. But some of the provisions of the competitive acquisition program and the rules proposed by CMS for DMEPOS suppliers could prevent pharmacies from effectively serving their Medicare patients.” Allergan’s Combigan approved for glaucoma Allergan has received an agency nod for its combination ophthalmic solution Combigan. The FDA approved the new product, which contains both brimonidine tartrate and timolol maleate, for the reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. During clinical http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ article?AID=2007710300330 http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ article?AID=2007710300330 http://www.nacds.org/user-assets/pdfs/newsrelease/2007/Navarro_Testimony_Oct3107.pdf

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Drug Topics - November 12, 2007

Drug Topics - November 12, 2007 Contents Drugs Often Associated with Errors Wanted: More Convers to Drug Decision Tools MSRA Takeoff Raising Alarm Bells U.S. Still Volnerable to Drug Counterfeiting Strange Rx Stories: Are You Stupid? Are Students a Squandered Opportunity The Week at a Glance

Drug Topics - November 12, 2007

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