Keep Your Hands on Your Wallet

By William Popomaronis, R.Ph.

In the Wizard of Oz, they cried "lions, tigers and bears, oh my," community pharmacists involved in selling DMEPOS may soon be crying "consultants, manuals and accreditation, how much?"

You won't run into the Scarecrow, Tin Man or Cowardly Lion on the "Yellow Brick Road" to DME accreditation and competitive bidding, but you will likely encounter consultants promising that if you use their services, they will do the thinking required to get your facility to the accreditation promised land. Of course, that is after you pay them.

You may also encounter purveyors of manuals promising that if you pay them, they will provide you with a CMS quality standards interpretive guide manual that will answer any and all questions a surveyor might ask.

Almost broke, you think you’ve made it to Emerald City only to find that you’ve stumbled into the lobby of the accrediting agency where you are reminded that you won't get your supplier billing number without paying their application fees, survey fees, and renewal fees. By the way, they've got Toto too!

Truth be told, here in the real world, there may be good reason to hire a consultant to assist you in preparing your pharmacy for accreditation, if they demonstrate true expertise and can save you precious time…time is money.

Operating manuals make good sense in any business as long as the policies, procedures and protocols are more than just pages in a book. Accreditation agencies vary by price, products accredited, and evidence required by you to demonstrate you meet CMS quality standards. Know the differences!

One thing is certain, without accreditation you lose the ability to provide Medicare Part B DMEPOS to beneficiaries in your community.

Spend wisely and plan to be an active participant in preparing your pharmacy and staff for accreditation and competitive bidding.

For more information, visit the DME Resource Center on Pharmacist e-Link at http://www.pharmacistelink.com/medicaredme/

Next Time: Accreditation Trickle Down

William Popomaronis, R.Ph., is vice president, long term and home health care services for the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). He is also the only pharmacist member of Medicare’s Program Advisory and Oversight Committee (PAOC), which provides advice on the development and implementation of the DME Competitive Acquisition Program.

Bayer HealthCare, Diabetes Care, has underwritten the costs of this communication. The information expressed in this communication are the views of NCPA. Bayer is not responsible for the accuracy of the information expressed in this communication. Any questions related to DME Accreditation and/or Competitive Bidding for DMEPOS should be directed to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or NCPA.


	Sponsored by Fast Facts Suppliers must obtain accreditation to maintain Medicare Part B billing numbers. Ten agencies are approved to accredit suppliers of DMEPOS. CMS has not set a deadline for suppliers to become accredited. Important Links: Medicare DME Home Page Medicare DME blog DMe-Alert Archive: March 2, 2007 Keep Your Hands on Your Wallet By William Popomaronis, R.Ph. In the Wizard of Oz, they cried "lions, tigers and bears, oh my," community pharmacists involved in selling DMEPOS may soon be crying "consultants, manuals and accreditation, how much?" You won't run into the Scarecrow, Tin Man or Cowardly Lion on the "Yellow Brick Road" to DME accreditation and competitive bidding, but you will likely encounter consultants promising that if you use their services, they will do the thinking required to get your facility to the accreditation promised land. Of course, that is after you pay them. You may also encounter purveyors of manuals promising that if you pay them, they will provide you with a CMS quality standards interpretive guide manual that will answer any and all questions a surveyor might ask. Almost broke, you think you’ve made it to Emerald City only to find that you’ve stumbled into the lobby of the accrediting agency where you are reminded that you won't get your supplier billing number without paying their application fees, survey fees, and renewal fees. By the way, they've got Toto too! Truth be told, here in the real world, there may be good reason to hire a consultant to assist you in preparing your pharmacy for accreditation, if they demonstrate true expertise and can save you precious time…time is money. Operating manuals make good sense in any business as long as the policies, procedures and protocols are more than just pages in a book. Accreditation agencies vary by price, products accredited, and evidence required by you to demonstrate you meet CMS quality standards. Know the differences! One thing is certain, without accreditation you lose the ability to provide Medicare Part B DMEPOS to beneficiaries in your community. Spend wisely and plan to be an active participant in preparing your pharmacy and staff for accreditation and competitive bidding. For more information, visit the DME Resource Center on Pharmacist e-Link at http://www.pharmacistelink.com/medicaredme/ Next Time: Accreditation Trickle Down

	William Popomaronis, R.Ph., is vice president, long term and home health care services for the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). He is also the only pharmacist member of Medicare’s Program Advisory and Oversight Committee (PAOC), which provides advice on the development and implementation of the DME Competitive Acquisition Program.

	Bayer HealthCare, Diabetes Care, has underwritten the costs of this communication. The information expressed in this communication are the views of NCPA. Bayer is not responsible for the accuracy of the information expressed in this communication. Any questions related to DME Accreditation and/or Competitive Bidding for DMEPOS should be directed to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or NCPA.