The American College of Emergency Physicians recently updated their accreditation criteria standards to include the requirement of a pharmacist to respond onsite or virtually to the ED to provide support for medication delivery to enhance patient quality and safety. This criterion is required for Level I (onsite) and Level II (onsite or virtually) accredited EDs. Read here for more information.

The Society of Critical Care Medicine Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology Practice Advancement Committee recently published a prospective, multicenter, time-motion study that identified ICU patient-to-pharmacist ratios between 16:1 and 19:1 was associated with the highest perceived patient care quality delivered and lowest burnout rates. A total of 128 critical care pharmacists participated, with 64% representing large academic medical centers with more than 100 ICU beds. Higher perceived quality of patient care rates was greatest with anticoagulation, sedation, glucose management, and acid suppression. Click here for full article.

Pharmacy students and pharmacists seeking licensure in multiple states will soon have an opportunity to sit for one exam rather than each state-specific exam, if the applicable state(s) adopts the Uniform MPJE examination. The uniform version of the MPJE will be a national pharmacy jurisprudence examination that State Boards of Pharmacy can use to assess candidates’ knowledge of pharmacy law. The uniform MPJE will address pharmacy license portability and requirements for practicing telehealth and is expected to launch in June 2026. In Pennsylvania, the State Boards of Pharmacy is involved in the early stages of updating pharmacy regulations in anticipation of the future examination availability. The exact timeline of the uniform MPJE examination in PA is still to be determined. Read here for more information.

Washington, DC – PTCB is setting a new standard in pharmacy technician education with the launch of the Certified Pharmacy Technician Educator^TM (CPTEd^TM) Certification Program, the first credential of its kind designed specifically for educators, instructors, and trainers dedicated to shaping the next generation of pharmacy technicians. The program was developed with the input and expertise of members of the Pharmacy Technician Educators Council (PTEC), a volunteer-led organization that unites, supports, and empowers educators in the education and training of pharmacy technicians.

Pharmacy technician educators play a critical role in preparing students for success in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. The CPTEd Certification recognizes their expertise, validates their skills, and underscores their commitment to excellence in education.

“Pharmacy technician educators are the foundation of a well-trained workforce,” said William Schimmel, CEO and Executive Director of PTCB. “With education and training varying across the field, this certification establishes a national benchmark for educators to support technicians with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive.”

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health has found that adults who were hospitalized for a severe infection, such as respiratory infections or sepsis, were more than twice as likely to develop heart failure years later. The findings, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, underscore the importance of measures that help prevent severe infections, such as getting up-to-date vaccines and practicing safe hygiene.

“These are ‘sit-up and take notice’ findings,” said Sean Coady, M.A., deputy branch chief in the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “While there’s already a reasonable body of evidence linking previous infections with heart attack, this study is focused on heart failure, which has been less studied yet affects an estimated six million Americans.”

Click here for more information.

Molinsky RL, Shah A, Yuzefpolskaya M. Infection-Related Hospitalization and Incident Heart Failure: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2025. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.123.033877R

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released regulations for the use of telehealth in prescribing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD).

The new regulations expand the circumstances under which DEA-registered practitioners are authorized to prescribe schedule III-V controlled substances via telehealth for the treatment of opioid use disorder.

The DEA proposed regulations nearly two years ago and granted several extensions while finalizing the rule. The previously released proposed rules would have required restrictive in-person visits and burdensome recordkeeping for a patient to receive ongoing access to MOUD through telehealth. ASHP strongly advocated against any restrictions which limited access to MOUD.

To speak with a member of our team about the final rule and pharmacist-provided MOUD, please contact ASHP at press@ashp.org.

Beckers Hospital Review- December 18, 2024

As the calendar turns to 2025, the biggest changes are coming to the HCAHPS survey since the advent of the national patient experience measurement system in 2006.

After years of study and testing, CMS will require hospitals to administer a new, updated version of the survey beginning in January. The new survey also comes with some important changes in how it can be administered. These include allowing electronic administration of the survey (email) and other changes designed to increase response rates and elicit a wider range of responses from diverse communities.

The new HCAHPS survey sunsets some domains and adds others. For example, the Care Transitions Domain – which asked questions about post-hospital care – is being removed. A new question on managing symptoms during recovery is being added. The Responsiveness Domain – which focused on the answering of call bells – is being adjusted and expanded. The question on quietness will be expanded into a domain focused on getting rest during a hospital stay. Perhaps most significantly, a new domain that focuses on team care and communication will be added. Click Here to read more.

(ASHP Advocacy News, 12/16/24)

Last week, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued a warning to Sanofi regarding its proposed "340B Credit Model," reprimanding the company for failing to secure federal approval before proceeding and comply with maximum price requirements. ASHP firmly opposes any rebate model introduced under the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and we commend HRSA for consistently rejecting manufacturers' attempts to implement such proposals.

Sanofi announced plans to implement a rebate model for 340B drugs, which would impact more than 20 of their medications. Sanofi followed Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly in attempts to use such an approach, despite previous warnings from HRSA against rebate models.

“Rebate models undermine the intent of the 340B program,” said Tom Kraus, ASHP vice president of government relations. “We are very concerned with attempts by manufacturers that threaten this vital patient benefit.”

ASHP is dedicated to preserving the integrity and impact of the 340B program. Our ongoing advocacy efforts at the state and federal level will focus on promoting legislative and regulatory measures that ensure patients maintain access to medications through the 340B program.

Beckers Hospital Review; Alexandra Murphy - Tuesday, December 10th, 2024

The Supreme Court has upheld Arkansas' 340B drug pricing law, rejecting a legal challenge from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America against the state's regulation.

The decision affirms a lower court's ruling that found no federal preemption of Arkansas' Act 1103, which restricts pharmaceutical manufacturers from limiting the ability of covered entities to use contract pharmacies for distributing discounted drugs under the 340B program, according to court documents obtained by Becker's.

The 340B program helps health centers, hospitals and clinics provide affordable medications to people who can't afford them.

PhRMA argued that Act 1103 was preempted by both the 340B program and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, asserting that the law conflicted with federal rules governing drug distribution.

The case was initially brought in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, where the court sided with the state. PhRMA then appealed to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed the lower court's ruling.

Special thanks to PSHP member Larry Jones for diligently communicating with the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research within the FDA to get the important section, Current and Resolved Drug Shortages and Discontinued Report to the FDA, reinstated. This resource is the only information that reports drug shortages on a daily basis without requiring a subscription or membership. Great news for our buyers and specialty colleagues that require such info to be as current and updated as possible. Click here for current list If you see other items that PSHP can work in your behalf, please share them and we will investigate toward a resolution for everyone.

Cook Children's Health Care System, based in Fort Worth, Texas, has won a national award for significantly reducing vaccine-related errors, according to a news release shared with Becker's.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices will honor the health system, as well as Toronto-based Hospital for Sick Children, as the 27th annual Cheers Award recipients during a Dec. 10 ceremony. Cook Children's quality-improvement team collaborated with its IT team to address immunization errors, particularly those involving complex vaccine age eligibility and vaccine series interval timing, ISMP said.

After creating a clinical decision-support tool and real-time alerts in the organization's EHR, Cook Children's averted more than 9,000 inappropriate vaccine orders. Error rates for the hepatitis A series also declined 91%. "This year's ISMP Cheers Award winners are ahead of the curve in terms of finding innovative ways to use technology to prevent medication errors," ISMP President Rita Jew, PharmD, said in a statement. "These dedicated organizations and leaders set a high bar for the rest of the healthcare community to emulate."

(CHICAGO and OAKBROOK TERRACE, Illinois, November 19, 2024) – The Joint Commission and the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) announce a strategic alliance to advance global healthcare Quality and safety for all.

The alliance stems from a shared vision for safe, high-quality and equitable healthcare between NAHQ, the industry leader in defining Quality competencies and developing and certifying the healthcare Quality workforce, and The Joint Commission, the world’s premier and most recognized brand in standards-setting and accrediting body in healthcare.

With the alliance, The Joint Commission and NAHQ will transform healthcare by:

• Uniting to a universal set of Quality competencies: The Joint Commission endorses and encourages healthcare organizations to adopt NAHQ’s Healthcare Quality Competency Framework™, which defines the full spectrum of work required for a high-functioning Quality program. This framework will not be a requirement for Joint Commission accreditation or certification. It will not be scored or determinative of survey or review outcome.
• Skilling healthcare professionals: NAHQ offers the only accredited certification in healthcare Quality through its Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ)^® To support the importance of competency development, Joint Commission and Joint Commission International (JCI) surveyors and reviewers will obtain and maintain this certification. Furthermore, The Joint Commission and NAHQ will jointly offer 25 annual scholarships to fund CPHQ attainment in underfunded organizations.
• Co-developing best-in-class training and education: The alliance will create training and education on the most critical topics in healthcare, along with other global products and services. NAHQ will develop a series of micro-credentials aligned with each of the eight domains of its Healthcare Quality Competency Framework, including a micro-credential in Regulatory & Accreditation in collaboration with The Joint Commission.
• Aligning critical missions and approaches: NAHQ recognizes and endorses Joint Commission and JCI accreditation and certification approaches and products as best practices for assessing Quality and safety within healthcare organizations around the world.

To learn more, please visit jointcommission.org or nahq.org/jointcommission-alliance.

PTCB recently updated their practice tools to include a new study deck, in addition to the existing PTCE Practice Bank^Ⓡ for Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam^Ⓡ (PTCE^Ⓡ) prep, to help support candidates in their exam preparation.

About the Study Deck
In addition to the existing 300+ Study Questions, the Practice Bank now features 400 flashcards in the Study Deck. These flashcards are packed with drug facts, terminology, and essential knowledge designed to enhance study sessions and get your candidates even more prepared for the PTCE.

These prep tools are a great way to support pharmacy technician growth. Candidates using PTCB’s tool consistently report higher passing rates, giving them the confidence to excel on their journeys. For more information visit ptcb.org/official-ptcb-practice-tools.

Submitted by Ryan Burke, Senior Director of Professional Affairs, PTCB

ASHP updated its clinical and operational suggestions for small- and large-volume fluid management and conservation. The revisions include additional conservation considerations, the addition of a frequently asked questions section, and additional links to external resources and recommendations by other professional organizations.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also announced temporary policies for 503A pharmacy compounders and 503B outsourcing facilities that may support their efforts to address fluid shortages. Details of the flexibilities are included on FDA’s Hurricane Helene resource page. ASHP advocated for additional compounding flexibility to address the fluid shortages, with the understanding that compounding may help fill gaps but will not be sufficient to solve the problem.

Here’s what else members should know about the availability of IV fluids and peritoneal dialysis

in the wake of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton:

• The FDA authorized importation of certain products to address the IV solutions shortage. The FDA has provided a list of temporary importation sources.
• FDA has not yet extended expiration dates for products. The agency is recommending that hospitals do not throw away products nearing their expiration dates and encouraging organizations to contact manufacturers for stability data of IV fluids. To contact Baxter, email: medinfo@baxter.com.
• FDA announced that dextrose 70%, Lactated Ringer’s solution, and peritoneal dialysis fluids are now included on FDA’s shortage list.
• The B. Braun manufacturing site and distribution center in Daytona Beach, Florida, a supplier of IV fluids, are intact after Hurricane Milton.
• Learn about fluid conservation solutions from the recording of this webinar offered recently by the End Drug Shortages Alliance.
• The American Hospital Association has compiled new resources, including ASHP’s conservation recommendations.

ASHP remains committed to ensuring members have the most up-to-date information on the availability of medications Consult ASHP’s Drug Shortages Resource Center for additional information on current shortages and for resources to assist in managing and conserving inventory at your practice site.

Click here for additional information.

CHICAGO — The emergence of medical innovations, new technologies and cutting-edge procedures spurred most of the annual changes presented in the release of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT^®) 2025, the nation’s uniform data-sharing code set for medical procedures and services published by the American Medical Association (AMA).

“The CPT code set is the foundation for the efficient and effective exchange of standardized information in a data-driven health system, facilitating the reporting, measuring, analyzing, researching, and benchmarking of medical services and procedures with the goal of delivering better patient care, improved outcomes and lower costs,” said AMA President Bruce A, Scott, M.D. “The latest updates to the CPT code set reflect advancements in contemporary clinical practice and ensures the code set fulfills its vital role as the trusted universal language of medicine.”

There are 420 overall updates in the CPT 2025 code set, including 270 new codes, 112 deletions, and 38 revisions. The CPT code set continues to expand in new areas of medicine with proprietary laboratory analyses assigned to the largest proportion of new codes (37%), mostly for novel genetic testing.

Category III CPT codes for emerging medical services accounted for about a third of new codes (30%).

Updates to the CPT code set are considered through an open editorial process managed by the CPT Editorial Panel, an independent body convened by the AMA that collects broad input from the health care community and beyond to ensure CPT content reflects the demands of a modern health care system. This rigorous editorial process keeps the CPT code set current with contemporary medical science and technology so it can fulfill its vital role as the trusted language of medicine today and the code to its future.

Key updates in the CPT 2025 code set include:

Digital Medicine

Remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) services were editorially revised. Code 98975 was updated to include digital therapeutic intervention, while codes 98976-98978 were revised to include device supply for data access or data transmissions to support RTM of patients.

Augmented/Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The AI Taxonomy introduced in 2023 has been implemented in category III CPT codes to classify AI medical services and procedures as assistive, augmentative, or autonomous based on the work performed by the AI application on behalf of the physician or other qualified health care professional (QHP). Seven category III code have been established for AI augmentative data analysis involved in electrocardiogram measurements (0902T and 0932T), medical chest imagining (0877T-0880T), and image-guided prostate biopsy (0898T).

General Surgery

Updates were made to CPT’s general surgery section to reflect novel approaches in skin grafts for wound care and recovery (15011-15018) and advancements in surgical techniques for the elimination of tumors within the abdomen (49186-49190).

The AMA invites the health care community to the world’s only medical coding event delivered by the authority on the CPT code set. Get guidance on the updates for the CPT 2025 code set by virtually attending the CPT & RBRVS 2025 Annual Symposium in November.

Coding books and products are available from the AMA Storefront on Amazon, including the CPT 2025 Professional Edition codebook. CPT data products, including the CPT 2025 Standard Data File, are available via the AMA Intelligent Platform.

A new report from the American Hospital Association using data analyzed by Vizient finds that hospital performance on key patient safety and quality measures is better in the first quarter of 2024 than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, and that hospitals made these improvements while caring for patients with more significant health care needs.

In the years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals across the country achieved success in improving key markers that measure patient safety, including reducing infections, expediting the diagnosis and provision of lifesaving treatments for heart attack and stroke, and preventing unnecessary readmissions. Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted that progress. However, new data analyses show not only a rebound but an improvement on pre-pandemic performance in patient safety.

Key Take Aways:

● Despite being sicker and more complex, hospitalized patients in the 1-Q-24 were on average over 20% more likely to survive than expected given the severity of their illnesses compared to the 4-Q-19.

● Based on Vizient’s analysis, the AHA using national hospitalization data projects that while caring for sicker patients, hospitals’ efforts to improve safety led to 200,000 Americans hospitalized between April 2023 and March 2024 surviving episodes of care they wouldn’t have in 2019.

● Hospitals cared for more patients overall in the 1-Q-24 than in the 4-Q-19, including providing care to a sicker, more complex patient population.

● Hospitals’ central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in the 1-A-24 were at rates lower than those recorded in the 4-A-19.

● Not only did multiple key preventive health screenings rapidly rebound to pre-pandemic levels, but ongoing improvement has led to a 60%-to-80% increase in breast, colon and cervical cancer screenings in the 1-Q-24 compared to the 4-A-19.

Washington, D.C. – The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) announces several updates to certification and recertification processes happening in 2025. These changes reflect BPS’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the certification experience for pharmacists and maintaining appropriate standards.

1. Continuous Testing Administration for Specialty Certifications
12 certification programs will continue administration via the continuously available testing format. Pharmacists may register at any point in the year and select a testing session within their eligibility period. Continuously available testing sessions are available for the following certification programs:

Emergency Medicine Pharmacy (BCEMP) will transition to continuously available testing in Q1 of 2025. Solid Organ Transplantation Pharmacy (BCTXP) will transition to continuously available testing in Q3 2025. Certification candidates who wish to take either examination in 2025 will be required to wait for the launch of continuous testing administration for that specialty. More information will be provided in late 2024.

2. Launch of Pain Management Pharmacy
BPS is developing the first Pain Management pharmacy examination and more information regarding the first pain management pharmacy certification examination will be provided in late 2024.

3. Continuous Testing Eligibility Period Update
Effective January 1, 2025, the certification examination eligibility period will go from 365 calendar days to 200 calendar days. The updated policy is as follows:

1. Certification Examinations:
   1. For authorizations to test (ATT) issued before January 1, 2025: Examinees in the continuous testing format will be able to apply at any point in the year and will have 365 calendar days to sit for an examination.
   2. For authorizations to test (ATT) issued after January 1, 2025: Examinees in the continuous testing format will be able to apply at any point in the year and will have 200 calendar days to sit for an examination.
2. Recertification Examinations:
   1. There is no change to the recertification examination eligibility period for examinations in the continuous testing format. Examinees will have until October 15 to sit for an examination in order to achieve a passing score before the December 31 recertification deadline.

4. Forward-Only Examination Navigation
As of August 1, 2024, all BPS examinations will follow a forward-only navigation format. Examinees no longer have the option to return to items previously viewed or backtrack during the exam. This change is designed to enhance exam security and adhere to accreditation standards.

5. Updated Examination Retake Policy
Effective January 1, 2025, the examination retake policy will reflect an eligibility period of 90 to 200 calendar days. The updated policy is as follows:

1. Certification Examinations:
   1. For authorizations to test (ATT) issued before January 1, 2025: Examinees who fail their first examination attempt may apply for a retake examination and pay the discounted fee of $300 USD. Examinees will be allowed up to two retake examinations (three attempts total), with a minimum of 90 calendar days and a maximum of 365 calendar days between each attempt. If a passing score is not achieved after the third attempt, the examinee must wait 12 months from the date of their final attempt to submit a new application, pay the application fee of $600 USD, and begin the process again.
   2. For authorizations to test (ATT) issued after January 1, 2025: Examinees who fail their first examination attempt may apply for a retake examination and pay the discounted fee of $300 USD. Examinees will be allowed up to two retake examinations (three attempts total), with a minimum of 90 calendar days and a maximum of 200 calendar days between each attempt. If a passing score is not achieved after the third attempt, the examinee must wait 12 months from the date of their final attempt to submit a new application, pay the application fee of $600 USD, and begin the process again.
2. Recertification Examinations:
   1. Examinees who fail their first examination attempt may apply for a retake examination and pay the discounted fee of $200 USD. Examinees will be allowed up to two retake examinations (three attempts total), with a minimum of 90 calendar days and a maximum of 200 calendar days between each attempt.

6. Multi-Certified Pharmacist Annual Fee Policy

Effective January 1, 2025, multi-certified pharmacists in a recertification year who do not complete recertification requirements for a specialty they decide not to renew are required to pay the annual certification maintenance fee for the remaining active credential(s).

E.g., If a pharmacist with two or more active certifications lapses one certification in 2024, they will be assessed $250 USD in their MyBPS Profile in 2025, accounting for an annual maintenance fee of $125 USD for 2024 and a fee of $125 USD for 2025 because they chose not to pay the $400 USD recertification application fee in 2024.

It is important to note that there are no fee increases in the updated examination retake policies or in the updated multi-certified pharmacist annual fee policy.

These updates are part of BPS’s ongoing effort to improve and strengthen processes, to continue offering value to certificants, and to maintain compliance with accreditation standards.

August 16, 224, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted marketing authorization to NOW Diagnostics for the First To Know Syphilis Test. This is the first at-home, over-the-counter test to detect Treponema pallidum (syphilis) antibodies in human blood. Results from this type of test alone are not sufficient to diagnose syphilis infection and should be followed by additional testing to confirm a diagnosis of syphilis.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reported syphilis cases increased 80% in the United States between 2018 and 2022 (from 115,000 to more than 207,000), continuing a decades-long upward trend.

Prior to today’s action, there was no over-the-counter test to inform a user about a potential syphilis infection. The test provides an at-home result without a prescription, in approximately 15 minutes, which individuals can use to better inform next steps with a health care provider.

PBMs are at the center of the complex pharmaceutical distribution chain that delivers a wide variety of medicines from manufacturers to patients. PBMs serve as middlemen, negotiating the terms and conditions for access to prescription drugs for hundreds of millions of Americans. Due to decades of mergers and acquisitions, the three largest PBMs now manage nearly 80 percent of all prescriptions filled in the United States. They are also vertically integrated, serving as health plans and pharmacists, and playing other roles in the drug supply chain as well. As a result, they wield enormous power and influence over patients’ access to drugs and the prices they pay. This can have dire consequences for Americans, with nearly three in ten surveyed Americans reporting rationing or even skipping doses of their prescribed medicines due to high costs.

Read the full FTC Interim Report below.

Respectfully Submitted by  Larry Jones, Retired PSHP Executive Director & PSHP Past President

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, new and revised requirements will apply to behavioral health care and human services (BHC) organizations that use restraint and/or seclusion.  The changes include revising the definition of restraint, reducing redundancies; streamlining processes; and removing requirements for physical holding of a child or youth and incorporating this concept into the requirements for restraint and seclusion because physical holding that restricts freedom of movement is a type of restraint.

According to Noah Weiland of the New York Times, More than 10 million calls, texts and chat messages have been answered by counselors working for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s three-digit hotline in the two years since it debuted, federal officials said on Tuesday.

The three-digit number, 988, was introduced in 2022 as a way to simplify emergency calls and help a metastasizing mental health crisis in the United States, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the social environments of younger Americans. The hotline previously used a traditional 10-digit number.

The Joint Commission has established a new resource for hospital and healthcare workers aimed at addressing their own health and to promote safety and health across their workforce.

The Workforce Safety and Well-Being Resource Center launched July 10 and includes resources on workplace violence prevention, addressing burnout, and managing exposure to hazards, according to the news release.

Visit the new TJC-Resource Center at the link below.