PHARMACY DEPARTMENT UPDATES

NALOXONE for Medi-Cal Beneficiaries: In October 2016, Medi-Cal, added Naloxone Intranasal Spray to the list of covered medications. Patients on Medi- Cal fee-for-service or manage care can fill a Naloxone prescription as a fully covered benefit. More pharmacies now stock Naloxone, such as Narcan, as pharmacists in CA are allowed to dispense Naloxone without a prescription. For Medi-Cal beneficiaries however, a prescription is still required for billing. You can help provide Naloxone to your patients by providing them with a Naloxone prescription or providing the pharmacy with a standing order to dispense Naloxone. Providing Naloxone to your patients and talking to them about the safe use of opioids help reduce incidents of overdose harm and injury that result from inappropriate use. Please visit our Managing Pain Safely website www.partnershiphp.org/Providers/HealthServices/Pages/Managing-Pain- Safely.aspx for more information about PHC’s initiative to improve the safe use of opioids.

CHANGES to the PHC Formulary: Partnership has recently made a couple of significant changes to its drug formulary. Basaglar, insulin glargine with identical protein sequence to Lantus, is Partnership’s preferred formulary long-acting insulin for new starts. New start requests for basal insulin other than Basalgar, such as Lantus or Levemir will require a TAR (Treatment Authorization Request) justifying its use over Basaglar. Please prescribe Basaglar to all your new and current basal insulin patients. For patients currently on Lantus, you can convert them to Basaglar with the same dose and directions. The second major formulary change is the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, alogliptin. Alogliptin and its combination product (alogliptin + metformin) is now the preferred step-formulary product for patients newly starting on DPP-4 inhibitor therapy. New-start requests for brand DPP4-inhibitor Januvia, Onglyza, and Tradjenta or its combination products Janumet, Kombiglyze and Jentadueto will require a prior authorization to justify its use over alogliptin or alogliptin/metformin combo. Please prescribe alogliptin to your new and current DPP-4 inhibitor patients.

Basalgar and alopgliptin are new generic versions of Lantus and DPP4-inhibitors that cost much less than their brand name counterparts. Switching patients to Basalgar and aloglipitin will result in significant savings that can be used to improve and expand the services we provide our members, providers, and communities. For additional information regarding our drug formulary, please visit the PHC Pharmacy Formulary page at http://www.partnershiphp.org/Providers/Pharmacy/Pages/Formularies.aspx

Eureka | Fairfield | Redding | Santa Rosa (707) 863-4100 | www.partnershiphp.org