D.0 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) CMS-0055-P that was recently published in the Federal Register. This NPRM proposes to modify the requirements for the use of the Telecommunication Standard Implementation Guide, Version D, Release 0 (Version D.0), August 2007, National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) by requiring HIPAA covered entities to use the Quantity Prescribed field (460-ET) for retail pharmacy transactions for Schedule II drugs. 

This modification would enable covered entities using the HIPAA retail pharmacy transaction to clearly distinguish whether a prescription is a “partial fill,” where less than the full amount prescribed is dispensed, or a refill. We believe this modification is necessary, particularly in light of the fact that the opioid crisis is a nationwide public health emergency, and the modification, if adopted, would further the Administration’s efforts to address the crisis.

There is a 60-day public comment period for this rule, which closes on April 1, 2019.  We encourage our stakeholders to read this proposed rule and submit comments, as these will assist us in preparing the final rule.

Read the full Information Bulletin on the Go-to-Info page for more information.