Included in this newsletter
National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) Site Inspections
CMS has issued new contracts to new vendors for completing CMS on-site inspections. We are receiving reports of the inspector refusing to provide a copy of their inspection report, refusing to show their credentials, refusing to provide a copy of the inspection report, and other issues. When you receive the CMS on-site inspection, always remain calm, ask for their credentials if not presented, pull the CMS On-Site Inspection Checklist of the Compliance Portal, Checklist, and Survey link at the bottom of the home page. If you have an unprofessional inspector and want to go outside the CMS inspection checklist, try to cooperate. Call your Project Manager immediately. We will need the inspector’s name, inspection report, and a description of what happened. Inspectors do not have the authority to close the pharmacy or issue a penalty. Your Project Manager will complete the appropriate form. Jeff sits on the NSC Advisory Council and has the direct reporting process. If the CMS inspector is professional and good to work with, let us know to compliment NSC.
In addition as we approach the end of the pandemic, we are recommending everyone to resume obtaining signatures on the Electronic Capturing Systems, Receipts of Goods and Services, Proof of Deliveries and all Medicare Part B documents. Please stop using a COVID waiver for patient signatures.
COVID Standing Orders: Updated
CDC has updated the standing orders for the COVID vaccines, and they are on the Compliance Portal, Immunization Compliance program, Chapter 1.
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Janssen (J&J) – Persons 18 years of age and older
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Moderna – Persons 18 years of age and older
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Pfizer –
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5 through 11 years of age
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12 years of age and older (Gray Cap)
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12 years of age and older (Purple Cap)
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Medication Adherence Program (Med Sync)
All patients enrolled in the Medication Adherence Program are required to have a participation agreement. This document is found within the Pharmacy Compliance Program, Chapter 8, Medication Adherence Program, Item # 3c. Most computer systems have scanning capability for documents within a patient’s prescription record. The Participation Agreement should be scanned into the patient record, and the hard copy can be discarded or filled in alphabetical order by patient’s last name, first name. Scanning is the best option. The ultimate goal is to have 70% of the pharmacy’s patients enrolled in Medication Adherence. If the pharmacy has not reached this goal, continue enrolling patients. There is no timeline or requirement; however, when the pharmacy has attained 70%, workload, workflow, inventory, and staffing will have a remarkable change in the pharmacy’s operation.
Update on Compliance Regulation Changes
There are a number of rules, regulations, and guidelines that are about to change. Please see the table below for the areas and changes that will be made.
Trainings on the Compliance Portal®
You can’t rush a good thing! We are very excited to announce our new eLearning platform is in final beta testing! This means in the upcoming months we will be able to start providing monitoring, tracking, reporting, and record keeping for Compliance Trainings on our Compliance Portal®. Many of our trainings will be getting updated to fully utilize all the features in this new section. We are planning a rolling launch and will be adding new trainings monthly in conjunction with our Monthly Task List training requirements. By the end of 2022, all trainings will be migrated to this new platform, and we hope to offer additional trainings to help you and your staff maximize your knowledge on compliance and achieve completion with all training requirements. Stay Tuned for more details, in the meantime enjoy this preview photos.
CBD Expert Advice for Getting Started
An advance copy of our new book on CBD has been sent to all RJ Hedges clients. Our book, written by Frank Lombardo, RPh, and R Jeffrey Hedges, CDME, is written to fill the gap of knowledge for patients, pharmacists, and practitioners. Learn everything you need to know before purchasing CBD. Discover the importance of knowing what you are buying and who you are buying it from. An order form with a QR Code to buy the book for $6.00 and retails for $8.99. To order, CLICK HERE
R.J. Hedges Bulletin Releases/Webinars
(found in the Message Center)
The following items can be accessed through the Message Center on the Compliance Portal®:
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March Task List (03/01/2022)
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Podcast: Dreaded Reality of Ransomware in Pharmacy Part 1 of 2
