Podcast: Impact of COVID-19 on Pharmacist Scope of Practice: Before and After the PREP Act - Diagnosing Health Care
Earlier this month, the American Society of Pharmacy Law hosted its annual conference in San Antonio, TX. This gathering of industry leaders provided a unique opportunity to delve into the ever-evolving landscape of pharmacy...more
$140 Million Healthcare Fraud Case to Be Retried - On June 27, a Houston federal district court judge indicated that a $140 million healthcare fraud case, which ended in mistrial in December 2022 due to allegations of...more
For the last three years, the federal government has taken considerable steps to aid providers in the fight against COVID-19. Although many of the waivers and flexibilities initiated in response to the pandemic have since...more
For years, pharmacy advocates have urged policymakers to make changes to state scope of practice laws that would permit pharmacists to prescribe and administer certain tests and vaccines at the pharmacy. How has COVID-19...more
This is the latest in a series of articles discussing selected updates to the Department of Consumer Affairs’ (DCA) waivers issued in response to Governor Newsom’s March 30, 2020 Executive Order N-39-20, which authorized the...more
Ensuring compliance with the False Claims Act has never been more important for healthcare providers. By March 2020, we saw healthcare professionals standing at the forefront of one of the greatest health crises in a...more
New York Pharmacy Owners Charged in $30 Million COVID-19 Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering Case - On December 21, 2020, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that two owners of over a dozen New York-area...more
The Hamilton County Health Department announced it has received more shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine. As a result, persons living or working in Hamilton County with Phase 1a1 or Phase 1a2 status can now receive the vaccine....more
On December 3, 2020, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services issued a fourth amended PREP Act declaration expanding the scope of immunity for covered entities engaged in the provision of goods and...more
Food - FDA Released Retail Food Employee Health Handbook – The FDA published the Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook to help food employees avoid spreading viruses and bacteria to food....more
On August 3, 2020, CMS issued proposed rules announcing and soliciting public comments on new policy changes for Medicare payments under the Calendar Year (CY) 2021 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and other Medicare Part B...more
On August 28, 2020, Governor Bill Lee issued Executive Order 59 which extends the state of emergency related to the COVID-19 crisis until September 30, 2020. To help facilitate ongoing targeted regulatory flexibility to...more
CMS is soliciting comments on whether future payments for devices that may have been impacted by the COVID-19 PHE should be adjusted. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its annual proposed rule related...more
On August 3, 2020, CMS issued a proposed rule which updates payment policies, payment rates, and other provisions for services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) on or after January 1, 2021 (the...more
Lawmaking in the COVID Era - The legislature adjourned Friday June 26 at 8:41 p.m. Sort of. After holding what was nearly the longest and certainly the strangest session in history – half of it remotely – the legislature has...more
Florida has been contemplating ways to increase patient access to care, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the anticipated increase in cases. Recognizing the accessibility of pharmacies, Florida is now...more
On May 13, 2020, Paul R. Rodríguez, New Jersey’s Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs, issued an Administrative Order permitting licensed pharmacists in New Jersey to order and administer testing for COVID-19....more
On Wednesday, April 8, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health released guidance authorizing pharmacists to “order and administer COVID-19 tests, including...more
In what has been considered a huge win for community pharmacists, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the General Counsel (OGC) issued an Advisory Opinion on May 19, 2020. The Advisory...more
On May 12, the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) issued an Order Waiving Restrictions on Pharmacists Ordering and Collecting Specimens for COVID-19 Tests, under the authority of California Governor Newsom’s...more
On May 19, 2020, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of General Counsel (OGC) issued an advisory opinion (Advisory Opinion) finding that the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act1(PREP Act)...more
Experts have repeatedly emphasized the importance of increased testing for COVID-19 in an effort to maintain some control over this pandemic. With this goal in mind, on April 8, 2020, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for...more
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health issued new guidance under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (“PREP Act”) designed to expand COVID-19 testing capabilities by relaxing pharmacy regulations....more
In response to the federal and state declarations of public health emergencies surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the California State Board of Pharmacy has issued the following waivers to California Board of Pharmacy...more
The South Carolina Boards of Medical Examiners and Pharmacy have issued a joint guidance regarding the prescribing and dispensing of hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, and azithromycin....more