(1.0 CE hours)
ACPE Universal Program Number: 207-000-08-032-H04-P
Release Date: February 29, 2008
Expiration Date: February 28, 2011
In the past, Medicare Advantage plans (MA) have been viewed as a potential threat to pharmacy providers, especially in the presence of exclusive networks. There is no denying that the market is moving toward MA plans, and the challenge for community pharmacy is to find its place in the equation. A real opportunity exists in the MA environment for pharmacists looking to partner with managed care plans for whom pharmacist-provided MTM is valued, generic utilization is encouraged, and incentives are aligned. Plans are seeking pharmacist partners to utilize their unique skills to keep patients healthy.
This program will examine MA plans and discuss potential outreach opportunities for pharmacists to work with plans and improve the health outcomes of Medicare beneficiaries.
Learning Objectives
Target Audience: Pharmacists
Faulty Information:
Michael Bukach, R.Ph., Vice President Pharmacy Operations, MemberHealth, Inc.
Mr. Bukach is currently Vice President of Pharmacy Operations with MemberHealth. He is responsible for the Pharmacy Provider Network as well as the Professional Service Group. The Pharmacy Network currently consists of more than 61,000 providers, which include retail, hospital, long term care, 340B and Tribal networks. MemberHealth is the 4th largest National Medicare Part D provider.
Prior to joining MemberHealth in 2005, Mr. Bukach was the Vice President of Pharmacy Operations at Medicine Shoppe International, a Cardinal Health Company. At Medicine Shoppe International he developed programs for more than 1200 franchise and corporate pharmacies. This included all facets of Pharmacy Operations such as 3rd party reconciliation and new business development.
Before joining Medicine Shoppe International in early 2001, Mr. Bukach spent most of his career in Cleveland, Ohio as Vice President of Pharmacy for a locally owned 40-store pharmacy chain. Mr. Bukach began his career at Medic Drug as a staff pharmacist. He was later promoted to the position VP of Pharmacy where he was instrumental in the development and growth of the company.
He is a graduate of Ohio Northern University and participates in several professional organizations such as NACDS, NCPA, NCPDP and other state and local organizations.
Robert J. Donnelly, Vice President of Government Programs, MemberHealth, Inc.
Bob Donnelly is responsible for expanding the scope of MemberHealth's government pharmacy benefit management programs.
Mr. Donnelly has held various positions at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), most recently as director of the Medicare Drug Benefit Group at the Center for Beneficiary Choices. In this role, he created and managed the operational infrastructure of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit mandated by Congress in 2003, and created operational plans for implementing major provisions for the new drug benefit.
During his career at CMS, he also served as director of the Health Plan Policy Group and director of the Division of Plan Policy for the Medicare managed care group. Prior to his CMS roles, Donnelly served as program examiner for the Health Financing Branch at the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C. Mr. Donnelly holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Rutgers University and a master's degree in public policy from the University of Michigan.
Disclosure: Both speakers are employees of MemberHealth but report no conflicts of interest.
Fee: Complimentary
Instructions for Participation
To receive a certificate of completion that indicates your eligibility for continuing education credit, you must:
Your statement of credit will be issued immediately upon successful completion of the post-test and submission of the evaluation."
NCPA is approved by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This program will provide 1.0 contact hour(s) (0.15 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit.
Sponsored by MemberHealth
Additional educational resources to assist community pharmacists with implementation of Medicare Part D.
2006 brought massive changes to community pharmacy with the implementation of
Medicare Part D. This insightful session will give you a recap of the major highlights and
look into the future of the program in 2007 and what changes the community pharmacist
can expect to see as well as how these changes will affect business in the community
pharmacy.
Released: October 8, 2006
Expires: October 8, 2009
Pharmacists are confronting many challenges with the new Medicare Prescription Drug
Benefit. Among the most time consuming are formulary management, prior authorization
requirements, step therapy protocols, and tight formularies. Most Medicare beneficiaries
will encounter new formulary requirements, so preparation will be key for pharmacists
during their patient's transition to Medicare Part D when they will be in the crucial position
of interacting between the plan, prescriber, and patient to lessen any delays in drug
coverage.
Released: May 5, 2006
Expires: May 5, 2009
The Medicare Modernization Act of
2003 (MMA) will have an enormous effect on community pharmacy. This informative
program will prepare the community pharmacist with the vital information that
they need to educate their beneficiaries to the effects that the MMA will have
on their lives and how to best deal with Medicare Part D.
Provides 2.0 contact hours (0.2 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit
Released: July 16, 2005
Expires: July 16, 2008
Brace yourself! January 1 is coming full speed ahead. At the beginning of 2006, pharmacists can expect a multitude of new challenges associated with the new Medicare benefit. Preparation will be key to minimizing the economic and humanitarian impact of confused beneficiaries and to limit any delays in care due to this new program. This timely session will provide pharmacists with the tools they need to survive the first six months of Medicare. Additionally, it will highlight areas of professional and business
Provides 2.0 contact hours (0.2 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit
Released: October 18, 2005
Expires: October 18, 2008
When Medicare beneficiaries are looking for information on the new Medicare benefit, the most likely source they will turn to is their community pharmacist. This Fall, On a daily basis, pharmacists will encounter questions from beneficiaries such as: How do I sign up for a plan? What are the benefits of this program? Is it a good deal for me? While it is important that pharmacists be knowledgeable about the overall Medicare program, they will also need to know the key concerns of Medicare beneficiaries. Many Medicare beneficiaries will benefit substantially from this new program. Pharmacists will need to know how to identify these beneficiaries and proactively recommend a Part D sponsor who will fit their needs in 2006. This program will assist pharmacists to stay within federal marketing rules while maintaining their customer base during the Part D initial enrollment period.
Provides 2.0 contact hours (0.2 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit
Released: October 17, 2005
Expires: October 17, 2008
Patients are often not compliant with their therapy. Pharmacists know how important it is for patients to take their medication regularly; patients are healthier and the pharmacy has better financial performance. The growth in eprescribing and the new Medicare prescription drug benefit are new developments that can change the approach pharmacy staff take to increase patient compliance. With e-prescribing, the pharmacist and the prescriber can better track how regularly the patient is taking their medication. And, with the Medicare prescription drug benefit, cost will be less of an issue for patients who are currently unable to afford their medicine. Find out how these new developments in Medicare can spike your business and make patient compliance soar.
Provides 2.0 contact hours (0.2 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit
Released: October 17, 2005
Expires: October 17, 2008
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) is considered the most significant change to the Medicare program since it was created as Title XVIII of the Social Security Act in 1965. The biggest revision to Medicare in the MMA is the addition of drug coverage for beneficiaries. Adding the prescription drug benefit as a new Part D of Medicare recognizes the central role that prescription drugs play in our health care delivery system and the need to assure availability of prescription drugs to Medicare beneficiaries. Since the drug benefit is the biggest change in the MMA with potentially significant implications for the profession of pharmacy, the prescription benefit will be the main focus of this educational program. Pharmacists will need to evaluate the implications of their participation in the program and the specifics of prescription drug plans (PDPs) that will be available to patients in their market area. This program contains a description of key components of the new drug coverage under Medicare with particular relevance to pharmacists such as structure of the benefit, access, formularies, pharmacist services, and economic impact.
Provides 1.5 contact hour(s) (0.15 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit
Released: January 12, 2005
Expires: January 12, 2008
Learn about the new Medicare Discount Cards, which will soon be in the hands of your patients. This activity will walk you through the basics of new Medicare Law.
Provides 1.0 contact hour (0.1 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit
Released: March 22, 2004
Expires: March 22, 2007
