The Italian-American Pharmacists Society of the State of New York
Meeting Minutes
10/12/06 8:00 pm

ACTION ITEMS

CE Presentation: Improving patient Safety was presented by Craig Burridge, Executive Directory PSSNY and met 0.2 CEU towards mandatory med error requirement.

Minutes: Minutes were approved and will be posted on website. 

Treasurer Report: Account is the black and approved by chairman of board.

Committee Reports:

• Membership Committee: 2007 dues are now being accepted.  Welcome to new members: Ann Marie Presto and Fran Aurichio.
• Newsletter Committee: Fantastic issue will be arriving shortly and will include great photos from recent events.
• CE Committee: Next meeting 11/9.
• Legislative Report:
• Contact Craig for information concerning Pharmacist Quality Commitment Program/Software. Cost is $300/year and includes national alerts for med errors.
• PBM transparency and block on mandatory mail order will be important issues next year.
• CDTM is expected to pass this year.  More are paying for MTM.  Sign up with CCRx if you are interested in reimbursement.
• NYS still requires citizenship for pharmacy registration.  This impacts approximately 160 pharmacists.
• SP litigation with Medicaid Inspector General continues with steep fines.
• MMIS # audit will result in penalties if more than 30% or rx are written by the same provider MMIS#.
• Are you or your staff on the Medicaid Disqualified Pharmacy/Pharmacist list?  Any suspension can qualify you for the list. Once you are on, you need to request to be taken off the list.
• Notify Medicaid, State Board of Pharmacy and Bureau of Controlled Substances if you change SP status.
• Mail order pharmacies (on behalf of Aetna) have been calling pharmacies to transfer specialty pharmacy rx without patients permission.  They are promising cheaper co pay.  They are contacting MD and obtaining verbal rx.  Curascript has been delivering drugs directly to hospital for discharged patients.  MDs think that they are completing prior auth criteria from insurance companies when in fact they are authorizing specialty pharmacies to fill rx.  CMS states that you can’t mandate mail order for Part D or require use of a particular specialty pharmacy. 
• Part D -There are reports that some PBM are charging different rates to insurance companies for drugs once they hit the donut hole.  There is speculation that this practice is to enable to reach the catastrophic coverage range quicker.  They may also be charging more for generics than they are actually reimbursing pharmacies.  There are 13 benchmark plans for 2006-2007.  Patients that were auto assigned to HealthNet, Silver Scripts and GHI will now be auto assigned to other companies since they are no longer considered benchmark plans.  CMS states that members can stay with plan if the premium is within $2 of benchmark rate.

• Dinner Dance Committee: Form for nominee has been posted on website and will be due by end of November.
• Scholarship: SJU Organizations Day will be attended on Friday 10/13 from 9am-2pm by Joe, Stephanie, Stefani and Katie. It will be held at Bent Hall.
• IPS Website – Check out new section on left side where you can pose question to other pharmacists.

Good and Welfare:  Xmas party is 12/11.

Prepared 11/7/06 by:
Lisa Anzisi