From 2013-2018, SCPhA has conducted: 2 – Cardiovascular; 4 – Diabetes; 14 – Immunization; 8 – MTM: 2 – Community Pharmacy-based Point of Care and 1- Travel Health certificate programs.
From 2014 to 2018, SCPhA partnered with DHEC/CDC on a four year grant to train pharmacists to provide coaching to SC residents with hypertension. A total of 348 SC residents were enrolled over 4 years by thirty-three SCPhA pharmacist members. Patients enrolled in the program had a significant decrease in their systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings from baseline to their last pharmacist visit.
In 2014, the state employee Rx program took on a new PBM called Catamaran. From the very start, there was a problem. SCPhA, working with member owners in the filed quickly collected data, met with PEBA Board and corrected the reimbursement problem which was found to be Catamaran’s dropping the minimum co-pay of $9.00. Several months later, MAC pricing dropped significantly. Senate hearings were held and SCPhA members came by the hundreds to support community pharmacies in South Carolina.
In 2015, SCPhA pushed for and got a significant expansion of a pharmacist’s authority to administer vaccines without a prescription and got the age lowered to 12 for flu vaccines. All vaccine administrations are authorized under a statewide protocol except travel vaccines.
In 2016, SCPhA pushed for and got legislation passed that provided certain rights for community pharmacies in disputing MAC prices and appealing.
Also, in 2016-18, SCPhA Foundation was awarded a $500,000, two-year grant for a Medication Safety Matters program that focused on prescriber education as it relates to patient care for those with chronic pain and patient education in the proper storage and disposal of medications with an emphasis on the dangers opioids. SCPhA worked with other stakeholders in getting prescribers of controlled substances registered and using the state’s PDMP program. This was a very successful program that recently ended in 2018.
In 2018, SCPhA working with other stakeholders, moved PEBA (state employee Rx program) to amend their PBM contract to allow pharmacies to contact them directly if there were any pharmacy issues. This occurred after SCPhA assisted 18 independent pharmacies who were placed into the wrong MAC list for the PEBA program.
In 2018, SCPhA and unnamed members fought to get and keep a budget resolution in the 2018-19 SC state budget, language that would require PBM transparency in the Medicaid Managed Care program. Prior to seeking codification of Medicaid actions legislatively, SCPhA was working with Medicaid officials in seeking transparency in the bidding process for MMCO contracts. Ended with Medicaid contractual change starting July 1, 2018.
2018 – SCPhA Leadership prepares Practice Act “clarification” changes for Legislative introduction that will focus on the fact that state law already recognizes pharmacists as providers and preparing South Carolina pharmacists to be paid for most services they can already provide. Leadership has been researching these the past five years and has learned a lot from states that have made progress and those who made mistakes.
2018- 2019 – A SCPhA/SCHSP Task Force reviewed and made modifications to the SC Controlled substance regulations (44-53) and the 61-4 statute for 2019 changes. We are focusing on more transparency in the inspection process and have provided a list from DHEC on the 10 Most Commonly Found Errors by DHEC inspectors. The purpose of the Task Force is to remove any gray areas in the regulations and statute that are confusing to pharmacists and may differ from DEA regulations.
2018-2023 – In 2018 SCPhA and DHEC received a new five-year grant that will focus on providing pharmacist coaching to SC residents with pre-diabetes, diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Enrolled patients will have one comprehensive MTM session and then participate in four group lifestyle coaching sessions to help them manage their chronic disease.
2018 – SCPhA, through its for-profit arm Carolina Pharmacy Network, LLC (CPN) has just signed off on a marketing agreement to market out newest Independent Pharmacy Hospice Network that will provide enhanced patient services for the Hospice Centers at a much lower cost. CPN will partner with ClaritasPSM as the pharmacy services manager.
