Medicare Drug Plans May Establish Pharmacy, Prescriber Lock-ins for Beneficiaries ‘at Risk’ of Rx Abuse
The House last week overwhelmingly advanced multi-faceted legislation intended to address the nation’s opioid abuse crisis, moving the package to the Senate for an expected vote later this week. The measure, a House-Senate conference report that passed 407—5, contains a pharmacy and prescriber lock-in program for some controlled substances in Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage drug plans.
The goal is to restrict the ability of Medicare beneficiaries to obtain prescribed narcotic painkillers if the patients are deemed to be at “high risk” of prescription drug abuse. Some 47 states have instituted similar restrictions for Medicaid enrollees. NCPA procured an exemption for long-term care patients.
If enacted—and there is partisan controversy that new funding was not included–the legislation would require stakeholder meetings, rulemaking, and a comment period—in all of which NCPA would be heavily involved. The effective date would be Jan. 1, 2019.
Also contained in the legislation are sections addressing prescription drug monitoring programs, disposal of controlled substances, and secure containers for controlled substances. In each of these cases, NCPA succeeded in ensuring there are no specific requirements for community pharmacies.
Another provision would permit partial filling of Schedule II controlled substances prescriptions at either the request of the prescriber or patient. NCPA advocated to remove a burdensome requirement that would have called for physician notification each time a Schedule II drug was filled. NCPA will provide members with an analysis of all the relevant pharmacy provisions after the bill becomes law.
Filed under: General Problems
Dr.Ibsen,,,I believe these legislators NOW know exactly what their doing..With over 29,600 letters sent to them via petition2congress do no harm,,they know exactly the torture and genocide they have caused..They DO NOT want our deaths recorded as ,”death due to untreated physical pain,”’ they willfully do not want any record of what they have done..Also if they start recording our deaths truthfully,,their ,”addiction numbers,,their o.d. numbers,,will plummet,,thus no justification for restricting our access,or bringing our innocent doctors up on made up charges,” if they start telling the truth,,that thier rules,regulations are actually killing us,,,just like we told them it would,,We told them,,u forcible take away our medicines,,the suicides,,the od will skyrocket,,,and they have,,The government cannot let this truth be told,,thus media censors us all over the web,,the truth will never be told,,,,For if the truth is told,,it takes away any reasons for ,the employment,and restricting of our meds,, the dea,cdc,hhs,fda are using to claim this false epidemic,,,,think about it,,,maryw
When I was helping abandoned patients lien from their opioids, I had several patients assigned to a pharmacy who refuse to stock the medications they needed.
I had other patients assigned to either CVS or Walgreens or Osco all of whom were boycotting my prescriptions.
Because these legislators are not medical practitioners, they cannot foresee the unintended consequences of their disasters policies for patients
Where can I find the 5 senators who opposed it??????maryw
Mary, here’s the list of those who voted for and against it:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2016/roll399.xml
THANK U,,,mary
Thank U Tracey! We ALL need to write them!! We MUST ALL FIGHT THIS TOGETHER Before it is too late, because I promise that things are going to get far worse & WE are the ONLY ones that can make things better!!!
omg,,,again,,practicing medicine w/out a liscence,,,is that not illegal anymore..I am telling you,,these a-holes WILL NOT STOP,,, until they r stopped,,,,by a lawsuit,,for exactly that,,practicing medicine w/out a liscence ,,and willfull torture and genocide onto the medically ill..The United Nations ,,just chewed the United States government ass out for restricting access to needed medicines,,and the United States blatantly refuse to follow the U.N guildelines,,thus willfully causing forced endurement of physical pain onto the medically ill w/painful medical condtion,,,ie,,,,torture,,,and genocide,. Why isn’t someone w/money stepping forwards to sue the living crap out of our government for violation of international law of willfully torture, genocide and practicing medicine w/out a liscence????oh,,,btw,,,all of us in our 50’s,,,better start growing your own poppy flowers,,,,for we will be getting NO MEDICINES for our painful medical conditions as soon as we are eligilble for medicare…Soooo,,,if u r rich enough not to have go on medicare,,,this law doesn’t apply???or does everyone HAVE to go on medicare at 62?maryw