Goal is to Demonstrate Functionality Needed to Limit Disruptions in Care and Benefit Patients, Caregivers and Providers
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- NCPDP announced today that the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator (ASTP/ONC) has contracted NCPDP to provide project management support to organize and execute a pilot for pharmacy product availability functionality. This functionality enables Prescribers to confirm if the patient can obtain the medication being prescribed at the chosen pharmacy. The pilot aims to help solve the issue of patient access to medications and improve adherence through transparent medication availability at the point of care. NCPDP invites participants such as pharmacists, EHR vendors, health systems, inventory specialists and other industry stakeholders to help solve this issue.
"We believe the guidance and launch of this pharmacy product availability functionality pilot program are important steps towards increasing bi-directional communication as to the status and availability of medications for the pharmacy, prescriber and the patient," said Lee Ann Stember, President & CEO for NCPDP. "NCPDP is excited to be asked by the ASTP/ONC to conduct this pilot based on our standards development leadership in the pharmaceutical industry and the current efforts of NCPDP's Work Group 11, Pharmacy Product Locator Task Group."
The Product Locator Task Group has been exploring business cases and creating an automated technical solution for voluntary and selective responding to various inquiry types regarding availability and/or on-hand status of medications on behalf of the patient. "This pilot program demonstrates ASTP/ONC's commitment to collaborating with the pharmaceutical industry's key stakeholders to address concerns and questions around the status and availability to dispense prescribed medications due to insurance, limited distribution, supply shortages or other restrictions and factors," explained Pooja Babbrah, Executive Vice President, Strategic & Industry Alignment for NCPDP.
The initial phase of the pilot program is anticipated to run through March 2025, and will focus on organizing the pilot structure, recruiting participants, and developing the pilot implementation guide for the Task Group's Use Case #3: Prescriber agent sending an eprescription and wanting to confirm if the patient is able to get the prescribed medication.
The need for pharmacy medication locator process arose from the Final Report of the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee (HITAC) on Pharmacy Interoperability and Emerging Therapeutics submitted to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT on November 9, 2023. This report included 34 recommendations to support exchange of information between pharmacy stakeholders to support medication management, patient safety, and consumer engagement. This pilot is an identified priority by ASTP/ONC and is related to PhIET-TF-2023_Recommendation 31 focused on answering the question: 'What can ONC do to address drug inventory transparency for prescribers and consumers?' The full HITAC report can be viewed here.
About NCPDP
The National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) is a not-for-profit American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Standards Developer (ASD) consisting of more than 1,300 members representing entities including, but not limited to, claims processors, data management and analysis vendors, federal and state government agencies, insurers, intermediaries, pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers, professional services organizations, software and system vendors and other parties interested in electronic standardization within the pharmacy services sector of the healthcare industry. NCPDP provides a forum wherein our diverse membership can develop business solutions, including ANSI-accredited standards and guidance for promoting information exchanges related to medications, supplies, and services within the healthcare system.
NCPDP has been named in federal legislation, including HIPAA, MMA, and HITECH. NCPDP members have created standards such as the Telecommunication Standard and Batch Standard, the SCRIPT Standard for ePrescribing, the Manufacturers Rebate Standard and more to improve communication within the pharmacy industry. Our data products include dataQ®, a robust database of information on more than 80,000 pharmacies, resQ™, an industry pharmacy network management resource, and HCIdea®, an innovative prescriber database that provides continually updated information on more than 3.7 million prescribers. NCPDP's RxReconn® is a legislative tracking program for real-time monitoring of pharmacy-related state and national legislative and regulatory activity. For more information about NCPDP Standards, Data Services, Products, Educational Programs and Work Group Meetings, go online at http://www.NCPDP.org or call 480.477.1000.
Media Contact
Sherri Teille, NCPDP, 480.862.1449, [email protected], http://www.ncpdp.org
Pooja Babbrah, NCPDP, 480.332.2593, [email protected], http://www.ncpdp.org
SOURCE NCPDP; NCPDP
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