Well, as expected, it was another busy week at MPhA. I wanted to give everyone a quick update on a few things I was able to see:
Monday provided us an opportunity to watch both the senate and the house in session. The senate meeting was very brief and didn’t provide much to report on. The house meeting, however, provided some heated discussion regarding a motion made there. Both parties showed their passion and weren’t about to back down on their viewpoints. This is what I had always imagined these sessions to be like, and it was a great experience to observe from high above the floor in the gallery. I hope we will be able to attend more sessions in the near future.
Tuesday and Wednesday brought us a few more opportunities to meet with legislators in both the house and senate to educate them about an upcoming bill, which will have a direct and positive impact on pharmacies enduring PBM audits. All parties have responded positively, so we are hopeful that the bill will move forward with their help.
We also attended a Health and Human Services committee hearing regarding the budget for the upcoming year. The hearing included testimony from the Minnesota Department of Health and discussions around the changes being made to reimbursement for drugs. As many of you know, AWP is being phased out, and WAC is likely to become the new standard for determining reimbursement rates. This was interesting to observe- especially given the complexity of the pricing of pharmaceuticals. It is not an easy topic to explain clearly; although the gentlemen did the best they could for the committee.
Thursday was a big day for the profession as the Board of Pharmacy held its rules hearing before an administrative law judge. The rules package has been in process for several years, and this hearing likely signals the later stages of the whole process. Pharmacists and managers from many organizations were present to provide public comment, which was recorded and will be considered by the judge. Stay tuned for further developments regarding the rules package and their enactment in the coming weeks.
Hope you all have a great week!
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