Headlines

• March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month: Free Screening Materials Available

  • Wednesday, March 18, 2026

  Free Screening Materials Available

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• CMS Announces Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Demonstration Program

  • Wednesday, March 11, 2026

  CMS Announces Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Demonstration Program The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released new guidance on the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, a short-term demonstration program launching July 1–December 31, 2026, designed to provide eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries early access to certain GLP-1 medications for weight management. The program will serve as a transition ahead of the BALANCE Model, which is expected to begin in Medicare Part D in 2027. Under the demonstration, eligible beneficiaries may access medications such as Wegovy® and Zepbound®, with prescriptions authorized through a centralized processor rather than Part D plans. Participating patients will pay a $50 copay, and pharmacies will submit claims through a designated BIN/PCN specific to the program. KPhA encourages pharmacists, pharmacy owners, and other stakeholders to review the full CMS memorandum for details on eligibility, pharmacy claims processes, and provider prior authorization requirements. To read the full CMS annoucement, visit: https://www.kphanet.org//Files/AAA%20Social%20Media/Medicare%20GLP-1%20Bridge%20FAQs.pdf. 

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• Preventing Substitution Errors Among Interchangeable Denosumab Biosimilars

  • Friday, March 6, 2026

  Preventing Substitution Errors Among Interchangeable Denosumab Biosimilars Many pharmacies are familiar with Prolia® (denosumab) for the treatment of osteoporosis in women after menopause who are high risk for fracture or cannot use another osteoporosis medication (or the other medications weren't efficacious). There is another denosumab product (brand name Xgeva®) approved for bone problems due to cancer. Prolia® and Xgeva® are not interchangeable because their strengths and dosing schedules differ.  In 2025, there were at least 14 denosumab interchangeable biosimilars approved for Prolia® and Xgeva® alone. The question with the multiple approved products is how to determine which ones can be used for each of the reference products. The FDA Purple Book is the go-to reference for differentiating between biosimilars and helping with substitution. One example is denosumab-bbdz (proprietary names:  Jubbonti®, Wyost®). Jubbonti® is only interchangeable to Prolia® and Wyost® to Xgeva®.  These substitutions can be made without authorization from the prescriber (if your state law allows). When ordering a denosumab product from wholesalers, you will want to make sure that the one you order is interchangeable to the originally prescribed product. PAAS Tips: If you are in doubt as to whether products may be substituted Call the prescriber to obtain approval and document with a full clinical note Contact a PAAS National® expert for assistance   By Trenton Thiede, PharmD, MBA, President at PAAS National®, expert third party audit assistance, FWA/HIPAA and USP 800 compliance.   Copyright © 2026 PAAS National, LLC. Unauthorized use or distribution prohibited. All use subject to terms at https://paasnational.com/terms-of-use/. What does this mean for Kentucky:    A Kentucky pharmacist cannot substitute a biologic unless they also follow Kentucky's specific regulatory steps. These regulatory steps include:  The biosimilar must be FDA-designated interchangeable with the specific reference biologic (not just “biosimilar”). To identify which products are interchangeable, use the FDA Purple Book.  The substituted product must be lower in price than the prescribed product. The pharmacist must notify the prescriber of which product was dispensed (name and manufacturer) within five business days. The pharmacist must label the dispensed product appropriately.  This information is sourced from KRS 217.822.  Written by Allison Grant, APPE Student Intern, KPhA.

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