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Consumer Protection

Anti-switching legislation:

• protect patients from being unnecessarily switched off an effective medication prescribed by a physician to an ineffective medication that their Pharmacy Benefits Manager (PBM) requires based on the patients insurance plan.

Step-Therapy Regulation:

• regulating a PBMs ability to force a patient into a step-therapy program is of great importance to the MPA. Without legislation like this, PBMs will continue to force patients into various step-therapy programs without regard to the prescribing physician’s orders or the patients safety in some cases. This legislation would allow the prescribing physician to override any step-therapy programs for their patients so that they can have access to the medications and care they need.

Prescription Sales Tax Definition for OTC Drugs:

The MPA supports a bill that will wipe out sales tax on OTC drugs that are prescribed by a physician. Currently, there are areas of confusion in the law and this bill will ensure that pharmacies will no longer pay sales tax on prescriptions, even OTC drugs that are prescribed.

Pseudoephedrine Tracking/Abuse:

The MPA believes that the pseudoephedrine bill that was signed into law in 2008 is an exhaustive and effective program to help with meth abuse in the state of Missouri. As such, the MPA is working with a number of other organizations to attempt to get funding for the program so that it can officially be implemented.

Pharmacy-Pharmacy Benefit Manages Relationship:

Pharmacy Audit Rights

Legislation was passed in 2008 to ensure that pharmacies have considerable rights when dealing with an audit from PBMs. As pro-pharmacy legislation was passed in 2008 to protect pharmacists, this issue will continue to be an ongoing point of interest to guarantee pharmacists are treated fairly in their businesses when contracting with PBMs.

PBM Transparency

In 2009, legislation was proposed in the Missouri General Assembly to require PBMs to become more transparent in their contracts with employers who contract a PBM to administer their medication plans, as well as offer transparent contractual relationships to the pharmacies they count on to provide patient care.

Expanding pharmacists as a health care provider:

Medication Therapy Management Services (MTMs)

Pharmacy Practice Act of 2007 – provided a pharmacist the ability to administer MTMs for a fee

Immunizations and Vaccines: 

Pharmacy Practice Act of 2007 – allowed for pharmacists to begin immunizing patients with the flu vaccine

Pharmacy Practice Act Expansion of 2009 – will allow a pharmacist to add shingles, pneumonia, and meningitis to the list of vaccines they will be able to administer, as well as allow a pharmacist to administer vaccines on a site other than their pharmacy (i.e. nursing home, doctor’s office, etc.)

Upcoming Events

Fall Prevention Day
September 22 marks the Second Annual Fall Prevention & Awareness Day. Pharmacists all over the state will offer free risk assessment screenings to help their patients stay fall-free and healthy!
Register Today!