From Drug Topics: News and analysis for pharmacists about Medicare/Medicaid changes - Drug Topics

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Medicare/Medicaid
From Drug Topics: News and analysis for pharmacists of developments pertaining to Medicare and Medicaid

CMS drives MTM expansion

July 1, 2009

Medication therapy management (MTM) programs have been part of prescription drug plans since 2005 after being mandated into law in 2003. MTM gained some muscle when Medicare patients began to enroll in 2006. The 2010 draft Call Letter issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is expected to push the MTM movement even further.

Co-owner of pharmacy sentenced for fraud

June 24, 2009

A co-owner of two pharmacies in East Orange and Jersey City, N.J., was sentenced to prison June 17 for fraudulently billing the Medicaid program for hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of HIV/AIDS medications that were never dispensed.

Recession presents challenges for pharmacists

June 12, 2009

While pharmacies have not been immune to the downturn in the U.S. economy, the overall picture does not appear to be one of gloom and doom. For an update on aspects of the big picture for pharmacy, read on.

Pharmacy fights to save California's poison control centers

June 12, 2009

Record budget problems have pushed California to eliminate funding for the largest poison control system in the nation. Keep reading to find out about a California pharmacy's fight to keep the poison control system going.

Walgreens to stop filling Medicaid Rx's in Delaware

June 5, 2009

Spurred by new, lower reimbursement rates, Walgreens, the largest pharmacy provider in Delaware, will stop filling Medicaid prescriptions in its Delaware Happy Harry's and Walgreens pharmacies and will no longer accept Delaware Medicaid as of July 6.

Pharmacists can be center of medical home

June 2, 2009

Community pharmacists can and should be the core of disease management programs, according to a recent report by Deloitte Consulting.

MTM means more pharmacists deliver diabetes care

June 1, 2009

Pharmacists are becoming nationally recognized as providers in diabetes care as the growth of medication therapy management programs and changes in Medicare reimbursement have caused many states and private payers to revise their programs.

With specialty-drug infusion centers, attention to the bottom line is vital

June 1, 2009

With many physicians discontinuing delivery of specialty drugs, hospitals must take up the slack. But while access to an outpatient infusion center is of great value to patients, running such a center can be financially hazardous for the provider. Meticulous attention to detail can mean the difference between success and failure.

NCPA: Get into politics or get out of pharmacy

May 12, 2009

The major message of the 2009 National Community Pharmacists Association's Annual Conference on National Legislation & Government Affairs was "get into politics, or get out of pharmacy."

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