In Brief: Pharmacist Scope of Practice Signed Into Law; DHCS Continues Drug Medi-Cal Crackdown
Pharmacist Scope of Practice Bill Signed Into Law
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law a bill that would create a modest expansion in the scope of practice of pharmacists.
SB 493, authored by Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina, allows pharmacists to provide contraceptives and dispense anti-smoking regimens to patients without a physician's prescription. It also allows them to inject some prescription drugs as needed, and substitute generic drugs without a physician's direct authorization.
“We appreciate the Governor’s signature on this landmark legislation,” said Jon Roth, chief executive officer of the California Pharmacists Association. “With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act at a time when the number of primary care physicians continues to shrink, we believe this legislation will help ensure that the millions of new patients receiving insurance will be able to access healthcare services through their local pharmacist.”
Two other scope of practice bills authored by Hernandez that would have expanded the scope of practice of nurse practitioners and optometrists were opposed by the California Medical Association and other physician lobbies and were either withdrawn or tabled.
DHCS Continues Drug Medi-Cal Fraud Crackdown
The California Department of Health Care Services has continued its investigation of provider fraud in the drug Medi-Cal program, and is ratcheting up temporary suspensions of payments to providers and case referrals to the state attorney general's office for potential prosecution.
As of Sept. 30, DHCS had suspended 61 providers and a total of 177 facilities. It has also referred 56 cases of potential Medi-Cal fraud for prosecution, according to DHCS spokesperson Anthony Cava.
DHCS officials have not yet released the names of those providers under investigation or being referred for potential prosecution.
The actions by the DHCS come on the heels of a joint report by the Center for Investigative Reporting and CNN concluding that $94 million in Medi-Cal payments were made to drug treatment clinics in Los Angeles County that had engaged in fraudulent billing practices.
DHCS Director Toby Douglas recently issued an apology while testifying in front of a joint Assembly and Senate hearing on oversight. He told the lawmakers the current system was “fractured,” but that it was in the process of being repaired.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gets $9.5 Million NIH Grant
Researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have recived a $9.5 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to fund genetic research into the causes for sickle cell disease.
“We expect that this research will lead to new therapies and diminish the burden of such disorders on children and young adults,” said Brent Polk, M.D., director of Children’s Hospital’s Saban Research Institute.
