Tag Archives: controlled substances

CMS Doubles Down on Targeting Part D Enrollee Prescription Drug Abuse, But Will Stakeholders Agree?

By Kameron Brackins on March 8, 2016 Posted in Uncategorized

With the release of its 2017 draft call letter, CMS continues its push to curb opioid dependence, overdose and death among Medicare Part D enrollees. To that end, CMS proposes that Part D plan sponsors edit their benefit designs to target opioid overutilization at the point-of-sale. The letter also reminds Part D sponsors that benefit designs … Continue Reading

Providers Oppose CMS Proposal Targeting Prescription Drug Abuse by Part D Enrollees

By Kameron Brackins on February 22, 2016 Posted in Uncategorized

Providers have voiced opposition to a proposal aimed at targeting Medicare Part D enrollees with “potential opioid or acetaminophen overutilization issues that indicate the need to implement appropriate controls on these drugs for the identified beneficiaries.” Under a recently proposed rule on revised discharge planning requirements, CMS solicited comments on whether providers should be required to consult … Continue Reading

House Passes Bill to Help Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse

By Lee H. Rosebush and Nita Garg on October 1, 2015 Posted in Uncategorized

On September 8, 2015, the House of Representatives passed a bill intended to combat prescription drug abuse through the reauthorization of a program that provides federal grants to states for prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP). The National All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting (NASPER) Reauthorization Act, (H.R. 1725), authored by Rep. Edward Whitfield (R-Ky.) and Rep. … Continue Reading

Don’t Flush the Drugs! The EPA is Coming!

By Robert M. Wolin and Lee H. Rosebush on September 25, 2015 Posted in Uncategorized

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued a pre-publication Proposed Rule (40 C.F.R. part 266, subpart P) regulating the management and disposal of drugs deemed “hazardous waste pharmaceuticals” by healthcare providers. One of the EPA’s principal objectives in promulgating the Proposed Rule is to curtail the environmental impact of pharmaceuticals on lakes and rivers by reducing the … Continue Reading