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In This Issue...
Help VHCF Receive $100,000 Grant!
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 TPC has topped $1 Billion in Free Meds!
As of May, users of The Pharmacy Connection software had helped uninsured patients obtain more than $1,004,401,659 (average wholesale price) in free medications from the PAPs in the past 12 years. See more.
In addition to the patients assisted with medications, over 7,301 patients have received over 25,993 diabetic supplies valued at over $1.29 million!
Many of these patients' lives have changed because of all of you! This is definitely something to celebrate! |
Important PAP Updates
As of June 1, 2011 GlaxoSmithKline's Bridges to Access PAP is no longer accepting new applications for the medications listed below. Currently enrolled patients will continue to receive their medications.
- Amerge
- Coreg (Coreg CR is still available)
- Flonase
- Imitrex (Nasal spray is still available)
- Requip (Requip XR is still available)
- Rythmol (Rythmol SR is still available)
- Valtrex
- Wellbutrin (all formulations)
- Zovirax
Aton Pharma was bought by Valeant and all meds have been moved to the Valeant Patient Assistance Program (1-866-268-7325) including:
- Cuprimine
- Demser
- Edecrin
- Lacrisert
- Lodosyn
- Mephyton
- Syprine
Xubex has a Discount Drug Program that carries Epipen, Epipen Jr. and Epinephrine A Injection. Please check the website for exact discount pricing and other medications available on this program.
The Generic Medication Access chart was recently updated. Be sure to download the latest version along with pricing information from the FTP site in the Generic Drug Programs folder. Requests have already been made to add Giant/Martins & Harris Teeter to the list. If you have suggestions for additional locations, please let us know and we will add them on the next version.
Other Program Changes that have been made to TPC in the past are available to view. Within TPC, go to Utilities, View, Program Changes. Enter a time frame and click Select All to see all changes by manufacturer.
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The Virginia Community Healthcare
Association honored Sarah Jane Stewart with the 2011 William E. Cole Friend of the Association Award.
This award recognizes a person who has advocated for or supported community health care in areas such as political advocacy, resource advocacy, or program and community development assistance.
As many of you know, Sarah Jane is the RxRelief Virginia Coordinator for a special category of VHCF grants. RxRelief Virginia funds medication assistance caseworkers to help uninsured Virginians obtain free medicines for chronic illnesses. Using The Pharmacy Connection software, these caseworkers help eligible patients benefit from pharmaceutical companies' Patient Assistance Programs. Congratulations Sarah Jane! |
Upcoming TPC Trainings
Beginner
7/19-Online
8/3-Danville
8/11-Online
8/30-Roanoke
9/13-Online
Intermediate/Advanced
7/26-Online
8/23-Online
9/21-Online
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Preview of Coming Attractions: Fall Roundtables
The fall TPC Roundtables will be held in 5 parts of the state in October & November. Notification for registration will be sent out once dates & locations are confirmed. We look forward to sharing the new enhancements with you at this time.
As always, the list of enhancements was generated from your comments and requests throughout the year. Some of the improvements will include:
- Ability to scan patient related documentation;
- Ability to manage routes of medications;
- Access to general notes button from the Welcome Screen and
- Certification on SQL Server 2008, Word 2010 Business edition and 64-bit machines.
Enjoy your summer and we look forward to sharing the whole package with you in the fall! |
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QUARTERLY DATA TRANSFER
The next quarterly report is due July 14th! Remember you have between the 1st and the 14th of July to send your data before the system locks you out.
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Quick Links...
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Welcome to The Pharmacy Connection's quarterly e-newsletter! We've got some great information to share in this issue. |
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VHCF Honors 2011
You "Rx"ceptional Winners
Over the past 8 years, the patients in Nelson County, VA, found Joy McDaniel at the Blue Ridge Family Medical Center, to be truly exceptional! Joy and her part time assistant currently serve over 1,800 patients at the health center and 80 surrounding practices within a 50 mile radius. Under her leadership, the patients have received over $10 million in free prescription medicines.
Joy goes the extra mile every day, from answering questions from patients who track her down outside of the office, to working diligently with companies. She even had one that agreed to send a free 90-day supply of medication not yet on a PAP formulary. She has professionalized the MAP program in many ways, becoming a certified pharmacy technician and taking time out to educate the providers about medication availability.
We were delighted to honor Joy for her hard work, dedication and difference she has made in so many people's lives! Congratulations on winning this year's You "Rx"Ceptional award!  The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA) was also recognized as a You "Rx"ceptional award winner for the efforts of its member pharmaceutical companies to provide free medications to uninsured & underserved patients.
The total value of free prescription medicines obtained through The Pharmacy Connection,and the Virginia Health Care Foundation's partnership with PhRMA's companies has now exceeded $1 Billion! This represents over 10 million 30-day prescriptions distributed to over 128,000 patients in Virginia with chronic illnesses. Although the $1 billion total spans a period of 12 years, over a half a billion dollars worth of those medicines were provided in just the last 3 years!
On the national level, the PAPs filled 21.6 million 30-day prescriptions with a value of $5.2 billion for the nation's uninsured in 2010. We appreciate the support PhRMA has for those who desperately need assistance! Congratulations! See more about the annual Heroes in Health Care Event and this year's other award winners. |
Help VHCF Help Your Patients
Even More....
Often the same patients who need help obtaining their prescription medications are the same ones who are not able to obtain the dental care they need. Many patients don't have access to dental & oral health care that they need. The lack of oral health care can make chronic conditions like diabetes or heart conditions for example worse.
VHCF is trying to change all of that and is being considered for a $100,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation's "Associate Choice" program. Between June 18-August 6, all Walmart and Sam's Club employees throughout Virginia will be casting votes for their favorite charity.
You can help VHCF by spreading the word to Walmart and Sam's Club employees about how VHCF makes a difference in the lives of thousands of uninsured Virginians by helping them obtain medical, dental and mental health care and getting prescription medications through The Pharmacy Connection for those who can't afford them.
Please do:
- Tell Walmart and Sam's Club employees living nearby or visiting your health clinic about the work VHCF does for the health safety net in your community & specifically what it does for your organization;
- Reach out to employees through email and social media posts supporting VHCF in Walmart's Associate Choice program (eg: Facebook, Twitter);
- Consider writing a letter of support to your local Walmart or Sam's Club manager;
- Let employees know that VHCF is one of the organizations competing for $100,000 in their Associate Choice Program;
- Refer them to www.vhcf.org for more information; and
- Ask them to consider casting their vote for VHCF by August 6.
Please don't:
- Speak to any Walmart or Sam's Club employees on store property; or
- Contact employees at work.
In partnership with our supporters and grantees, VHCF initiatives have provided health care to more than 600,000 Virginians since 1992! With our ability to leverage each $1 spent into $11 worth of services for Virginia's uninsured, a contribution to VHCF is a sound investment. Thank you for your help! |
Spotlight on a Provision of the Affordable Care Act in Effect Now
High Risk Insurance Pools
The Affordable Care Act creates a temporary national high-risk pool to provide health coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions, who have been uninsured for six months. It is a temporary measure designed to bridge the gap until the implementation of other coverage provisions in the law that will take effect in January 2014.
The Plan: Virginia has chosen the federal Government Employees Health Association to administer its high risk plan, entitled the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.
Plan Options: As of July 1, 2011, there are three plan options:
- Standard plan option - $2000 deductible, $500 drug formulary deductible
- Extended plan option - $1000 deductible, $250 drug formulary deductible
- Health Savings Account option - $2500 deductible includes medical and drug.
Cost: Varies by age. Example below is for monthly premium of person in age range 45-54:
- Standard plan-$214
- Extended Option-$288
- HSA Option-$222
- After deductible is paid, $25 copay for doctor visits;
$4 - $40 for Rx drugs; 20% medical costs - Out of pocket costs are capped at $5950 per year.
Benefits: The benefits offered by the plans are based on the "essential health benefits" defined in the Affordable Care Act. They include hospital care, mental health and substance abuse services, noncustodial skilled nursing services, prescription drugs, preventive care, and maternity care.
To Qualify: Effective July 2011, people applying for coverage under the federally administered plans will no longer need to obtain a letter of denial from a health insurance company. Rather, they can simply provide a letter from a doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner dated within the last 12 months stating that they have or, at any time in the past had, a medical condition, disability, or illness.
To Apply, go to this link: https://www.pcip.gov/Apply.html
Resources: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/provisions/preexisting/states/va.html
http://www.kff.org/healthreform/upload/8066.pdf
http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=47
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ASK JULIET & LISA
Some of the most frequently asked technical support questions...
Where can I find a list of medications available by therapeutic class through TPC?
A: A list of medications available by class can be located in two places. If you would like to select multiple medication classes at one time, go to the Reports menu, select Medications by Class. Click the first class and hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard while selecting the other classes. Click Print and the list will be generated. You can also export the list in several different formats of your choice prior to printing. If you would like to view one medication class at a time, go to the Patient Medication/Supplies screen. Click the View button next to Medication by Class on the right side of the screen. Select the class from the drop down menu and click Display. The list will be generated and, by clicking the Print button, you will be able to print the list or again choose to export to another format prior to printing.
When checking in medication on the Receive Screen, should I change the Package Count or Qty per package?
A: The amounts are defaulted on this screen but you should confirm the amount of medication and number of packages that actually arrived from the manufacturer. Change these amounts as necessary. For non standard medications, only the package count can be edited.
I've created a login and password for TPC but the application forms are not coming up. What did I do wrong?
A: Make sure you have entered the path for the location of Adobe Reader on the Manage Login screen. The typical location may look like this:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe.
Other questions? Check out the Frequently Asked Question section under the Help Menu in TPC. Still can't find the answer you are looking for? Contact Juliet or Lisa. |
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Thank you for reading the Summer edition of Rx Connect! Stay cool!
Sincerely,
TPC Staff |
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