The Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin offices will be closed on Monday, October 13, in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We will reopen with regular business hours on Tuesday, October 14. We take this time to honor and reflect on the history, culture, and resilience of Indigenous peoples across Wisconsin and beyond.

ForwardHealth Updates Vaccine Coverage for Several Vaccines

Under prior policy, ForwardHealth only covered vaccines recommended by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Effective October 1, DHS will transition to a more discretionary policy to allow coverage of vaccines recommended by other government bodies that use evidence-based methodologies, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Academy of Medicine.

Based upon this new policy, the following vaccine procedure codes will now be covered for COVID-19, influenza, and MMRV:

Information on how to begin the enrollment process for all 13 Wisconsin Medicaid HMOs is available to PSW members on the PSW website. Be sure you are logged in to your PSW account to access this information!

The information for each plan can be found under Medicaid HMO Enrollment Details on the PSW Provider Status Page. A PDF of the HMO information is also available. As a reminder, pharmacists must first enroll with Wisconsin ForwardHealth as providers before beginning the enrollment process with Medicaid HMOs.

Please contact Kari Trapskin with questions or comments about the enrollment process with a specific HMO. PSW can help to connect you or clarify processes as questions arise.

Note: PSW continues to work with Medicaid and Medicaid HMOs to provide accurate information regarding pharmacist provider enrollment. Information may be subject to change as updates become available. 

In 2023, dying by suicide was the second leading cause of death among people aged 5 to 25 years in Wisconsin. Wisconsin offers 24/7 access to a Lifeline counselor by calling or texting 988 or via online chat. 99.6% of all calls to the 988 hotline are resolved through supportive counseling and the provision of resources.

Let’s continue to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and ensure our patients, friends, colleagues, and selves are familiar with available resources. Check out the psychiatric medicine guidelines on PSW’s clinical resources page, along with the PSW Support and Wellness Resources for pharmacy professionals.

Did you attend the 2025 PSW Annual Meeting? Don't forget you must claim live continuing education credits (CE) within 60 days of the session. Be sure to claim your credits BEFORE October 14, 2025. Conference attendees can still view and claim on-demand sessions using the PSW app.

Couldn't make it to the Annual Meeting this year? Don't miss out on the CE! Many sessions were recorded and are now available as on-demand CE. Join a webinar at a time that works for you! PSW members always get access to continuing education at special member rates. Click here to access the on-demand content.

Not all clinicians are intimately familiar with the FDA’s Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). This 2-hour learning activity aims to help pharmacists better understand REMS requirements, pain management, and opioid safety. Join this ASHP-sponsored, free educational activity on Thursday, October 23, from 4-6 p.m. Click here to learn more and register.

Week 7: Putting Data to Work: ePDMP, Dashboards & Alerts.

The Wisconsin ePDMP and local EHR systems hold powerful data if you know how to utilize them effectively. From overdose risk scoring to alerts about high-dose opioids, these tools can drive pharmacy interventions.

What you can do:

• Use ePDMP proactively to start conversations, not just fulfill requirements.
• Implement pharmacy-led risk flags or clinical dashboards to identify patients who need intervention.
• Advocate for pharmacy access to best-practice alerts within your EHR system.
• Case study: See how one Wisconsin Health System used dashboards to reduce duplicate opioid and benzodiazepine prescribing.

Read the Toolkit – Chapters 8 & 9 (PDF)