Saturday, September 1, 2012

Blue Cross position in Michigan regarding compounded drugs

August 2012

Compounded prescriptions covered only if all ingredients covered

Beginning Aug. 1, 2012, for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan commercial (non-Medicare) customers and Sept 1, 2012, for Blue Care Network commercial (non-Medicare) customers, when a customer fills a prescription for a compounded drug, each ingredient in the compound must be covered under the member’s plan in order for the prescription to be payable. If a compound contains a product that is not covered under the member’s plan, even if it has been covered for a member in the past, the claim will now be rejected.
All other pharmacy benefit exclusions and limitations will also apply to compounds, including off-label exclusions, quantity limits for drugs used for erectile dysfunction and exclusions for both cosmetic use and bulk chemicals. Some exceptions exist for select over-the-counter products used as compound vehicles. Please discuss alternatives with your patients.
If you have questions about these changes, please call the Pharmacy Services Clinical Help Desk at
1-800-437-3803 and follow the prompts to reach the BCBSM or BCN prior authorization line.
Members who would like more information about any of their prescription drug benefits can be directed to call the customer service number on the back of their Blues ID cards.

NY judge tosses convictions in Fla. steroids case

Published: Saturday, September 1, 2012 at 12:54 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, September 1, 2012 at 12:54 p.m.
ALBANY, N.Y. - A judge has delivered another blow to a New York prosecutor's attempt to prosecute Floridians for selling steroids, including people connected to an Orlando pharmacy that played a role in baseball's juicing scandals.
Albany Judge Stephen Herrick this week threw out the convictions of two men who had pleaded guilty in 2007 to funneling fraudulent prescriptions from their clinic in Davie, Fla., to Signature Compounding Pharmacy.
The judge ruled that prosecutors had waited too long to get Greg Trotta and Brian Schafler sentenced.
The Times Union reported ( http://bit.ly/S8Cxvn) that the men had been cooperating with the Albany District Attorney and had been expected to get probation, but their case kept getting delayed as prosecutors battled with the judge over their ability to press charges against Signature's owners.
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Information from: Times Union, http://www.timesunion.com

Horse racing: Doping detection stays a neck ahead


Whilst the eyes of the world may currently be focused on the Olympics, human sport is not the only area where drug testing is routinely carried out.

Horse racing is a massive world-wide industry, and regular testing is essential to maintain its integrity.
As with human sport, the authorities constantly need to develop methodologies to detect new compounds that drug cheats are using or may start to use.
Read more ...

Powerpoint Presentation Regarding Use of Non-Pharmaceutical-Grade

Authored and Presented by Patricia Brown, VMD, MS, DACLAM Director, OLAW, NIH
Carol Clarke, DVM, DACLAM Staff Officer, AC, APHIS, USDA, Christian Newcomer, VMD, DACLAM Executive Director, AAALAC International presented at the OLAW Online Seminar
March 1, 2012

To view the Powerpoint click here.