CMS proposal wastes pharmacists' time, ASHP charges

A CMS proposal to reduce reimbursement rates and require pharmacy managers to distinguish overhead charges from medication costs is burdensome and does not adequately cover the cost of managing medications, ASHP charges. Edward Stemley, Pharm.D., director of the ASHP section of Pharmacy Practice Managers, urged members of a CMS advisory panel to recommend a reimbursement rate of average sales price (ASP) plus 6%. He also told the panel to scrap the separate reporting requirement. In its proposed rule for the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS), CMS is considering lowering reimbursement rates to ASP plus 5% and requiring that hospitals report pharmacy overhead separately from the charge for drugs and biological medication on an uncoded revenue code line. Panel members said they would recommend that CMS maintain the current reimbursement rate of ASP plus 6% and omit the proposed reporting requirement in the final rule.

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