Congress delays Oct. 1 tamper-resistant prescription pad requirement

From www.mgma.com:

An intense lobbying campaign by MGMA, pharmacy organizations, state officials and provider groups has caused Congress to issue a six-month delay of the Oct. 1 requirement to use tamper-resistant prescription pads for Medicaid prescriptions.

On Sept. 26, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 3668, a bill that includes the six-month delay. Late on Sept. 27, the Senate passed a companion measure. It is anticipated that the White House will approve this legislation.

The Oct. 1 start date has caused backlogged orders for compliant pads and little time for education and compliance for pharmacists, physicians and the 55 million Medicaid beneficiaries.  This rule does not apply to prescriptions that are emergency refills, in some institutionalized settings, for Medicaid managed care plans, and that are phoned, faxed, or electronically transmitted to the pharmacy.

Read the August letter from CMS to state Medicaid Directors: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/SMDL/downloads/SMD081707.pdf

Also, here are related CMS FAQs: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/DeficitReductionAct/Downloads/MIPTRPFAQs9122007.pdf