The mission of KPhA is to advocate and advance the pharmacy profession to improve the health of Kentuckians.

  

In the News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  
Jessica Mohler   
502.227.2303
jmohler@kphanet.org   

or 

tyler@glickstrategies.com 
502.500.3286
KY First State to Authorize Pharmacists to Provide  
Colorectal Cancer Screening Services 

Health plans show support for innovative, pharmacist-led care with $50,000 Grant  
 
Frankfort, Kentucky (November 16, 2022) – The first pharmacist-led colorectal cancer screening via a non-invasive stool-based test in the nation recently occurred at Capital Pharmacy & Medical Equipment in Frankfort, Kentucky. 
 
“Pharmacists are an integral part of the healthcare delivery system in prevention, public health issues, and the dispensing of life-saving medications,” said Ben Mudd, Executive Director of the Kentucky Pharmacists Association. “Adding assessment of and screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) to existing pharmacy protocols can greatly impact our two-decade-long fight to increase CRC screening rates. With early detection, Colorectal Cancer is a preventable, treatable, and beatable disease.” 

The Kentucky Association of Health Plans (KAHP), the trade association representing all commercial insurers and Medicaid managed care plans in the Commonwealth, awarded the Kentucky Pharmacists Education and Research Foundation (KPERF) a $50,000 grant to expand access to these screenings throughout Kentucky. Through a mutually beneficial partnership for KAHP and KPERF, the grant is designed to expand the number of pharmacies and pharmacists who can provide this service to Kentuckians. Participating pharmacies will be reimbursed via grant funding for pharmacist-led screening and follow-up.  
 
“Health plans and pharmacists are joining together to tackle a leading cause of death in the Commonwealth,” said Tom Stephens, Executive Director of Kentucky Association of Health Plans. ”We can close the gap by offering colorectal cancer screenings through a new Kentucky Board of Pharmacy-approved protocol, as authorized under state law and regulation.  We’re excited about the potential to be a transformative innovator among the states.”
 
In September 2021, the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy approved a pharmacist-led colorectal cancer screening protocol allowing pharmacists to initiate the dispensing of noninvasive stool-based CRC screening methods such as a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) or a stool DNA test (sDNA-FIT) at their local pharmacy. Now eligible patients ages 45-85 at average risk for colorectal cancer have one less step to take if they meet the requirements for pharmacist-led screening. 
 
As the most accessible healthcare provider, pharmacists have an unparalleled relationship with their patients. Whether through education on various disease states and preventive health measures, or directing patients to physician care when appropriate, pharmacists are uniquely positioned to help patients achieve better outcomes. Colorectal screenings, and pharmacist-led protocols, in general, equip pharmacists with another opportunity to save lives. 
 
Pharmacies interested in providing this service to your patients should contact Dr. Emily Wilkerson at fellow@kphanet.org for more information. 
 
  
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jessica Mohler
Director of Communications
Kentucky Pharmacists Association
502.227.2303
jmohler@kphanet.org 

Anthem to Recognize Pharmacists as Providers in Kentucky Network

Frankfort, Kentucky (October 21, 2022) – Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield acknowledged this week that they will begin accepting applications to enroll Kentucky pharmacists as providers for their commercial health plans within the state.

As a result, Anthem members in Kentucky will soon be able to seek care at those pharmacies enrolled as in-network providers. According to Dr. Trish Freeman, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, pharmacists have been able to provide protocol-driven care, such as flu and strep testing, tobacco cessation, immunizations, and many other services within their scope of practice for several years. However, many of these services have been limited to patients willing to pay out-of-pocket because health plans would not cover the service provided within the pharmacy setting.

“We are excited for the opportunity for patients to gain access to pharmacist-driven care in Kentucky,” said Dr. Misty Stutz, President of the Kentucky Pharmacists Association. Stutz, the Dean of the Sullivan University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, also shared, “We are thankful for the work of our pharmacist colleague in the Kentucky General Assembly, Rep Danny Bentley, for sponsoring House Bill 48 in 2021.”

HB48 required Kentucky health plans to reimburse pharmacists for services within a pharmacist’s scope of practice and are otherwise covered by the plan if provided by another healthcare provider. “The news today that Anthem is finally launching the program, as defined in HB48 2021, is welcome. Pharmacies have been providing these services for decades. They’ll begin being compensated for services they have rendered their entire career,” declares Rep Bentley, “I look forward to other insurance companies abiding by state law as defined by HB48.” Kentucky is one of the first states in the country to pass this type of legislation, and Anthem is one of the first health plans to comply with the new law.

Pharmacists interested in enrolling in the network should contact kyprovidercontracting@anthem.com (mailto:kyprovidercontracting@anthem.com) to request an application and seek further guidance.

About the Kentucky Pharmacists Association:
The Kentucky Pharmacists Association (KPhA) is the largest professional organization representing pharmacists in the Commonwealth and has been serving its members since 1879. The mission of KPhA is to advocate and advance the pharmacy profession to improve the health of Kentuckians. For more information, visit kphanet.org.

About The Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Practice:
The University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy established the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Practice (CAPP) to transform pharmacy practice within the state and the nation. Through research, education, engagement, and scholarship, the Center will facilitate the creation and translation of novel care delivery models within pharmacy practice that improve medication use and health outcomes. For more information, visit pharmacy.uky.edu/appkc.


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