December 16, 2020 / by HPSJ / Alerts, Pharmacy Announcements
Date: December 14, 2020 To: Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) Physicians, Providers, and Pharmacies From: Health Plan of San Joaquin Subject: Formulary Update Business: Medi-Cal Effective 02/01/2021, the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee has approved the following changes: Formulary Status Changes For Hidradenitis Suppurativa - Adalimumab (Humira) 10mg/0.2mL, 20mg/0.2mL, 40mg/0.4mL, and 80mg/0.8mL syringe/pen: PA required. [...]
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DHCS Guidance – COVID-19 Vaccines & Vaccination Administration
January 7, 2021 / by HPSJ / Alerts, Claims Corner, Pharmacy Announcements
Date: January 7, 2021 To: Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) Providers and Pharmacists From: Health Plan of San Joaquin Subject: DHCS Guidance – COVID-19 Vaccines & Vaccination Administration Business: Medi-Cal The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has now issued guidance for all Medi-Cal managed care health care plans regarding both COVID-19 vaccine [...]Read more
Formulary Update – Effective 02/01/2021
December 16, 2020 / by HPSJ / Alerts, Pharmacy Announcements
Date: December 14, 2020 To: Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) Physicians, Providers, and Pharmacies From: Health Plan of San Joaquin Subject: Formulary Update Business: Medi-Cal Effective 02/01/2021, the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee has approved the following changes: Formulary Status Changes For Hidradenitis Suppurativa - Adalimumab (Humira) 10mg/0.2mL, 20mg/0.2mL, 40mg/0.4mL, and 80mg/0.8mL syringe/pen: PA required. [...]Read more
Important Update for Pharmacy Benefits Change: April 1, 2021
November 20, 2020 / by HPSJ / Alerts, Non-Contracted Provider, Pharmacy Announcements
Date: November 20, 2020 To: Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) Provider Network From: Health Plan of San Joaquin Subject: Important Update for Pharmacy Benefits Change: • NEW – Effective Date moved to April 1, 2021 • State requests continued registration & preparation • Meanwhile: No change – HPSJ will continue to offer the pharmacy [...]Read more
Drug Safety Communication: Stronger Warning Labels for Benzodiazepines
October 30, 2020 / by HPSJ / Pharmacy Announcements
Benzodiazepines are used to treat a variety of conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, seizures, social phobia, and panic disorder. They are also used before some medical procedures as a premedication. On September 23, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a requirement that the Boxed Warning must be updated for all benzodiazepines […]
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Formulary Update – Effective December 16, 2020
October 8, 2020 / by HPSJ / Alerts, Pharmacy Announcements
Date: October 8, 2020 To: Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) Physicians, Providers, and Pharmacies From: Health Plan of San Joaquin Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Subject: Formulary Update - Effective December 16, 2020 Business: Medi-Cal Effective December 16, 2020, the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee has approved the following changes. Additions to the Formulary: Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) [...]Read more
2020 Immunization Updates: Vaccination during COVID-19, Flu, HepA, and Tdap
September 30, 2020 / by HPSJ / Alerts, Pharmacy Announcements
Each year, the California Medi-Cal Drug Use Review (DUR) program issues an annual summary of updates on immunization guidelines, products, and/or research in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Immunization Branch. For reference, the recommended immunization schedules for 2020 in the United States can be accessed on the Centers for Disease Control […]
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Clinical Review: 2020 Standards of Care for Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
September 2, 2020 / by HPSJ / Alerts, Pharmacy Announcements
Learning Objectives: Review recommendations provided in the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standards of Medical Care – 2020 addressing the pharmacologic approach to glycemic control for patients with type 2 diabetes Describe patient factors to consider when prescribing antihyperglycemic agents Understand the boxed warnings for antihyperglycemic agents Download the full documente here: Key Points: Diabetes is […]
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Pharmacy Update: Oncology Medicine
August 31, 2020 / by HPSJ / Alerts, Pharmacy Announcements
Date: August 31, 2020 To: Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) Physicians, Providers, and Pharmacies From: Health Plan of San Joaquin Subject: Pharmacy Update: Oncology Medicine Business: Medi-Cal Effective 11/2/2020, all oncology medications will require prior authorizations. Please note that the following list of the medications is not all inclusive. Download the Oncology Medicine PDF [...]Read more
Immediate Action Required – Epinephrine Auto Injector Devices
June 18, 2020 / by HPSJ / Alerts, Pharmacy Announcements
Date: June 17, 2020 To: Health Plan of San Joaquin (HPSJ) Pharmacies and Providers & Practices From: HPSJ Pharmacy Department Subject: Immediate Action Required – Epinephrine Auto Injector Devices Business: Medi-Cal We are sending this alert because your patient(s) may have filled a prescription for Epinephrine Auto-Injector Device since December 20, 2018. FDA is alerting […]
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Clinical Guideline: Reproductive Health in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases
June 3, 2020 / by HPSJ / Alerts, Pharmacy Announcements
The American College of Rheumatology recently published the organization’s first guideline on how to manage reproductive health issues in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). Patients with RMDs face unique challenges as pregnancy may be associated with serious maternal or adverse fetal outcomes; furthermore, it is difficult to avoid use of medications in patients […]
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