In This Issue:

MPA CEO Perspective

MPA News

• Book Your Room Now for ACE 2025!
• Outpatient Community Pharmacist Panel Thursday Hosted by U-M Student Chapter
• Join the MPA Referral Program Today and Earn Rewards!
• It's Time to Renew Your Membership

National Association News

• APhA Attendees Invited to Michigan Reception

CE Events

• The Incurable Acronym: ALS – But Not Untreatable
• Other Upcoming MPA CE Offerings

Professional Practice

• Change Healthcare Says Pharmacy Network Back Online; APhA Reports Members Still Experiencing Issues
• Participate in the COVID-19 Treatments Locator

Legislative and Regulatory News

• Paxlovid Labeled with Emergency Use Authorization Packaging is No Longer Authorized for Use
• APhA Statement on Joint Governmental Call to Increase Access to MOUD
• ALS Drug Fails Clinical Trial, May Be Removed From Market
• Recall of Epinephrine Issued

I always say the best part of association management is working with you, the members. The passion you have for pharmacy and serving your patients is admirable. It’s what drives me and all MPA staff to continually provide worthwhile membership benefits to help you succeed.

I’ve met so many of you over my first three-plus years at MPA and I’ve enjoyed every interaction. With so many more of you to meet, I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity just because your MPA membership lapsed. March 30 is the deadline for you to renew your membership if you haven’t already. Please renew today to ensure your benefits continue.

Protect your membership investment. Click here to renew your MPA membership today!

Book Your Room Now for ACE 2025!

The Michigan Pharmacists Association recently closed the books on its final Annual Convention & Exposition (ACE) at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center after a 15-year run in the Motor City.

ACE will move around for the next few years, starting with the 2025 edition April 11-13, 2025, at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa just outside of Traverse City! Information on registration, exhibitors and sponsorships will become available later this year, but it's not too early to block off your calendars as pharmacy's biggest continuing education event in Michigan takes its show on the road.

We encourage our members to make the 2025 ACE their "stay-cation" – golf, water activities and wineries are just a few things you can do in beautiful Traverse City. Get started now and book your room by clicking the button below! Attendees can also call 231-534-6001 and speak with a reservations agent to book their accommodations. They will receive the discounted rate if they mention the Michigan Pharmacists Association

or code MPA2025.

Outpatient Community Pharmacist Panel Hosted

by U-M Student Chapter

The University of Michigan chapter of the Student Michigan Pharmacists Association (SMPA) is hosting an Outpatient Community Pharmacist Panel from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, March 21, at the College of Pharmacy building, room PHR B022.

This event is open to all students who wish to learn more about where community pharmacy is headed. Topics will include independent pharmacy work, rural community pharmacy, current student opportunities and much more!

Panelists are:

• Austin Brown, Pharm.D., Advanced Care Provider Network
• Amran Hizam, Pharm.D., district leader, CVS Health
• Jeff Steffey, BSPharm, Central Drug Store and The Medicine Shoppe
• Hanadi Thomas, BSPharm, Merriman Drugs

Ask questions, soak in our panelists' knowledge!

Join the MPA Referral Program Today and Earn Rewards!

Joining the MPA Member-Get-A-Member Program is a breeze and the rewards are just a few steps away. Here's a simple breakdown of how it all works:

Share Your Passion: Log in to your MPA profile on the MPA website. Click “Profile” in the upper left-hand corner after logging in. Next, click on the “Member Referral” tab and enter your colleague’s name and email address. An automated email will be sent to your colleagues asking them to join MPA. When your colleague joins MPA, they must use the email address you provided. There are no limits on the number of referrals and associated rewards you can receive.

Welcome New Members: Once your referrals have successfully joined MPA, they'll be welcomed into our vibrant community.

Earn Your Rewards: Here's where the magic happens! You, as the referrer, will be issued a reward coupon within your MPA profile as a token of our appreciation. For each pharmacist you recruit, you'll receive a generous $30 coupon and $20 for each pharmacy technician.

Use Your Rewards: In your user profile, you'll find a "coupons" section under the "My Invoices” tab. Here, you can view any coupons you've received. These reward coupons can be applied towards your membership dues or any MPA-sponsored event, such as the Annual Convention & Exposition.

It's that simple! By spreading the word and bringing new members into MPA, you not only contribute to the growth of our community but also reap the rewards. Join the Member-Get-A-Member Program today and be a catalyst for positive change in pharmacy practice in Michigan.

Thank you for your commitment to MPA. We look forward to celebrating your success as a member recruiter! 

It's Time to Renew Your Membership

There are many benefits to renewing your membership with MPA, including:

• Direct access to experts who can answer law and practice questions
• Networking opportunities with pharmacy professionals, such as complimentary membership in our local county associations and practice sections
• Free and discounted CE opportunities such as the MPA Annual Convention & Exposition – the state’s largest pharmacy conference
• Being part of the collective voice advocating for the future of the profession
• Competitive home, auto and business insurance through MPA’s affiliated PSI Insurance Agency

MPA exists for and is effective because of its members. Renew today to ensure that your benefits are secured and that MPA has the resources to move the mountains ahead for you, for the profession and for patients. If you are not renewed by March 30, 2024, you will no longer be considered an MPA member and this will be your final issue of PRN; you will also no longer receive other MPA publications, such as the Michigan Pharmacist journal, and access to MPA resources and benefits.

APhA Attendees Invited to Michigan Reception

If you are a Michigan attendee of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Annual Meeting March 22-25, 2024, please stop by the Michigan Reception at the Orlando Hyatt Regency, Silver Spring Room, from 5-7 p.m. March 23. Beer, wine and appetizers will be served.

Hosts include the Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA), Ferris State University College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Please join your friends and colleagues from Michigan for a fun networking event!

Click the button below for more information on the APhA Annual Meeting.

The Incurable Acronym: ALS – But Not Untreatable

Michael D. Tiberg, Pharm.D., has been an active MPA member who, with his colleagues, Nick Torney and Derek Vander Horst, submitted a session proposal for MPA’s 2024 Annual Convention & Exposition entitled "The Incurable Acronym: ALS – But Not Untreatable.” When MPA’s education team met with Michael, they soon learned why it was imperative that this CE occur soon, as well as be accessible in the future to as many within the pharmacy profession as possible.

Why? Michael has ALS. He noted he’s not sure how long he may have to be able to educate his colleagues on how pharmacy can impact and assist those, who like himself, have a personal plight with this devastating disease.

Therefore, MPA got to work on how it could best disseminate Michael’s passion project to the pharmacy community. Michael's article in this quarter's Michigan Pharmacist journal will help you understand why participation in this PCE event is imperative. In addition, we’ll be recording this CE for future home study opportunities personally, in colleges of pharmacy, and in health care settings. We encourage you to join us – space is limited, so register today! MPA and this CE team came together as a labor of love to offer to MPA members this 1.5-hour live CE for only $7.99 to cover accreditation and reporting hard costs.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: April 23, 2024

Time: 2-3:30 p.m. (Doors will open at 1:30 p.m.)

Location: MPA Headquarters | 408 Kalamazoo Plaza | Lansing 48933

Presenters: Nick Torney and Derek Vander Horst

Format: Live at MPA Headquarters (in-person or virtual)

PCE: 1.5 hours of live CE

Cost: $7.99 for MPA Members | $35 for non-members 

Note: This will be a virtual and live, in-person session that will take place April 23 at MPA headquarters, 408 Kalamazoo Plaza in Lansing. Space is limited for the in-person session.

Other Upcoming CE Events from MPA

Michigan Pharmacy Law

Update 2024, Q2

April 1, 4-5 p.m.

Point of Care Test and Treat, Q2

Live webinar: May 9, 1-4 p.m.

(Self-study must be

completed before live date)

IBT Home Studies

Couldn't make it to a live implicit bias training (IBT) session? Not to worry, our IBT home studies could be right for you! MPA currently offers two IBT home studies. Both meet all current Michigan licensing requirements. Click the buttons below to get started!

Looking for Something Else? Try MPA's Home Studies.

In addition, MPA offers other home study pharmacy CE on a variety of topics that can be accessed 24/7/365 on its website. Click the button below to view our catalog of programs.

Change Healthcare Says Pharmacy Network Back Online;

APhA Reports Members Still Experiencing Issues

UnitedHealth Group recently reported its Change Healthcare's pharmacy network was back online, weeks after a cyberattack had a knock-on effect across the country's health care system that depends heavily on insurance. Change Healthcare processes about 50% of medical claims in the United States for around 900,000 physicians, 33,000 pharmacies, 5,500 hospitals and 600 laboratories.

As of March 13, all major pharmacy and payment systems are up and more than 99% of pre-incident claim volume is flowing, UnitedHealth said.

However, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) said many of its members continue to be unable to process Medicare Part B claims, infusion services and coupon cards. APhA leadership said it has been in contact with the company, as well as U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials, to ensure that these issues are addressed to enable patient access to medications and care.  

"HHS has told us that they will be establishing a means by which pharmacies can share any problems they are experiencing and will broadcast this information when it is available. In the meantime, send us an email at APhAGovernmentAffairsTeam@aphanet.org and we will continue to work, as we have from the beginning, to resolve these issues," APhA said.

Additionally, the National Alliances of State Pharmacy Association (NASPA) received the following guidance from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The guidance authorizes state flexibilities related to:

• Pharmacy Payments:
• Affected states can submit a pharmacy payment SPA proposing an enhanced professional dispensing fee to account for the manual and additional time-consuming procedures performed by pharmacists during the Change Healthcare incident.
• Other Flexibilities:
• Outside of SPAs, states may:
• Remove impacted Drug Utilization Review (DUR) evaluations, such as “Early Refill.”
• Waive requirements for tamper-resistant prescription pads for controlled substances.
• Waive prior authorizations.

Participate in COVID-19 Treatments Locator

If you are a health care partner who offers Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir co-packaged with ritonavir), Lagevrio (molnupiravir) or Veklury (remdesivir) for outpatient use, the Administration for Preparedness and Response, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is asking for your participation in a COVID-19 treatments locator to improve provider and patient access to these medications. 

By opting in to the COVID-19 Treatments Locator, you can ensure providers and patients can quickly find the closest location with availability of these medications that decrease the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Sites with an account in the Health Partners Ordering Portal (HPOP) can leverage that account to voluntarily indicate the availability of commercial outpatient COVID-19 therapeutics. Those without HPOP accounts can do so using the voluntary reporting website.

Only the information you provide will be visible on the locator. Your site can opt out of being on the locator at any time. Being on the locator requires minimal engagement: provide your location information, note which COVID-19 outpatient treatments your site has available and agree to be visible on the locator. Participation does not constitute an agreement to share any other data with HHS. To remain on the locator, sites are encouraged to note availability as often as they can, such as weekly or monthly, but would need to denote availability at least once every 60 days. After 60 days without noting that the site has treatments available, the site is removed from the locator. We also encourage you to keep the services offered at your site, such as test to treat or telehealth services, up to date on the Treatments Locator to improve patient access to these options when available.

This message is posted on the COVID-19 therapeutics webpage so that you can share the information with your networks, partners and providers. Please contact us at COVID19.Therapeutics@hhs.gov with any questions. 

Paxlovid Labeled with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Packaging is No Longer Authorized for Use 

Emergency Use Authorization (EUA)-labeled Paxlovid is no longer authorized for emergency use, regardless of the labeled or extended expiration date the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced. For both New Drug Application (NDA)-approved and EUA-authorized uses, only NDA-labeled Paxlovid may be dispensed. Today’s revision to the Paxlovid EUA completes FDA’s transition to FDA-approved Paxlovid from EUA-labeled Paxlovid.

All EUA-labeled Paxlovid, including expired EUA-labeled Paxlovid, remaining in U.S. distribution must be returned to the manufacturer or disposed of in accordance with all federal, state and local regulations.

See the Frequently Asked Questions on the Emergency Use Authorization for Paxlovid for Treatment of COVID-19 for additional information related to the dispensing of Paxlovid.

APhA Statement on Joint Governmental Call

to Increase Access to MOUD

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) appreciates the collaborative support announced by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to break down access barriers to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Although legislation and regulatory policies removed major hurdles to accessing buprenorphine, an important treatment for OUD, new barriers have been erected, making it challenging for pharmacists to provide this medication to patients.

“As OUD continues to penetrate communities across the United States, including rural and underserved areas where treatment options are limited, the role of pharmacists and pharmacies in harm reduction for OUD is critical,” said Ilisa Bernstein, Pharm.D., JD, senior vice president of practice, policy, and partnerships at APhA. “Pharmacists dispense buprenorphine and prescribe it where permitted under state law. APhA looks forward to the barriers being removed, enabling our nation’s pharmacists to help patients with OUD.”

Due to increased scrutiny by regulators and wholesalers related to controlled substance orders, buprenorphine access has been tempered across the country for fear that purchases over a certain threshold will trigger a pharmacy to be cut off by the wholesale distributor. The joint letter from DEA, HHS, and SAMHSA to DEA registrants calls on distributors to “carefully examine quantitative thresholds they have established to ensure that individuals with OUD who need buprenorphine are able to access it without undue delay.”

APhA welcomes this call for action and urges the distributor community to act swiftly to realign thresholds for buprenorphine, provide transparency so pharmacies know what those thresholds are, and provide expedited appeals processes if access to buprenorphine, or controlled substances generally, is cut off.

ALS Drug Fails Clinical Trial, May Be Withdrawn From Market

Two years after receiving conditional U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, an experimental treatment combining sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol (Relyvrio—Amylyx Pharmaceuticals) has failed to show a benefit for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Regulatory clearance was contingent on favorable results of a large clinical trial that was underway at the time, results from which now indicate the intervention is no more effective than placebo in slowing down loss of motor control or prolonging life. The findings are a stinging defeat for a patient population with limited therapeutic options and a poor survival outlook. Indeed, it was these factors, along with passionate lobbying from the ALS community, that convinced FDA decision-makers to give Relyvrio a thumbs-up despite limited supporting evidence.

The study's failure is also a blow to the founders and co-CEOs of Amylyx, who admitted to being "surprised and deeply disappointed." The pair said they would disclose within the next two months whether they will withdraw Relyvrio from the market or go in a different direction.

Obesity Drug Wegovy Is Approved to Cut Heart Attack

and Stroke Risk in Overweight Patients

The popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, which has helped millions of Americans shed pounds, can now be used to reduce the risk of stroke, heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular problems in patients who are overweight or who have obesity, federal regulators said Friday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a label change requested by drugmaker Novo Nordisk that expands the use of semaglutide.

The decision was based on the results of a study that found that Wegovy cut the risk of serious heart problems — including heart attack, stroke and heart-related deaths. Higher-weight patients with heart disease but not diabetes were 20% less likely to experience those problems compared with patients who took placebo, or dummy shots, the study found.

Wegovy is the first medication approved to help prevent the potentially life-threatening events in this population, the agency said.

Recall of Epinephrine Vials Issued

An incorrect expiration date on the product label has prompted the recall of 1,099 vials of Adrenalin (epinephrine) injection packaged by Henry Schein Inc., according to the Feb. 28, 2024, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Enforcement Report.

The recall affected Adrenalin (epinephrine) injection 1 mg/mL, in 1-milliliter single-dose vials (original NDC 42023-159-25, repackaged NDC 0404-9810-01), from original lot 64103 (Exp. 11/24) and repackaged lot 39747 (Exp. 1/26). The product was packaged by Henry Schein Inc., located in Bastian, Virginia, and distributed throughout the United States.

Henry Schein Inc. and Glove Club HSI Gloves Inc. voluntarily initiated the recall on Jan. 17, 2024. On Feb. 21, 2024, the FDA designated the recall Class II, signaling that the use of the affected injection may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or a remote possibility of serious harm.

Adrenalin injection is a prescription drug indicated for the treatment of anaphylaxis and hypotension associated with septic shock.

Pulse: Free Tool to Stop Fake Meds

NABP created Pulse to allow pharmacists to verify DSCSA data for medicine easily. It’s a free tool. Click the button below to watch a video to learn how it works.