MARYLAND
Medicaid Pharmacy Program

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Welcome to our website to keep you up to date on Maryland Medicaid Pharmacy Program issues. This website has all of the articles available in the Pharmacy News and Views Newsletter, and links to the Maryland Medicaid Pharmacy Program Advisories and Program website.
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National Provider Identifier (NPI) mandated on Pharmacy Claims for Prescribers that participate in the Maryland Medicaid Program, the Kidney Disease Program, the Maryland AIDS Drug Assistance Program, and the Breast and Cervical Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Program.

Effective March 1, 2009:

  • Pharmacy claims for recipients that participate in the above programs, which are submitted without the prescriber's NPI, will be rejected. 
  • All prescribers must provide their NPI with each prescription.
  • Prescribers who have yet to obtain an NPI can easily obtain one.  Information on how to get an NPI can be found online at: https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES/Welcome.do.  A registry of assigned NPI numbers is also available at this website.
  • When submitting claims electronically, pharmacists must enter the prescriber's NPI in field 411-DB (Prescriber ID) and 466-EZ (Prescriber ID Qualifier) in accordance with the Payer Specification Sheet found at http://mdrxprograms.com/.
  • Pharmacies are expected to use diligence in obtaining a prescriber's NPI for all prescriptions billed to Maryland Pharmacy Programs.  If a pharmacy has exhausted all efforts to obtain a prescriber's NPI, including searching the National Plan & Provider Enumeration System (https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov/NPPES/NPIRegistryHome.do), only then may the pharmacy contact the Claims Processing Point of Sale (POS) Call Center at 800-932-2918 to obtain Prior Authorization.
  • The pharmacy POS claims processor will validate the prescriber NPI for all pharmacy claims. 

                 

Emergency Supply of Medications

All Maryland Medical Assistance fee-for-service and HealthChoice recipients are entitled to receive a 72-hour supply of medicine while awaiting prior authorization or approval to dispense a non-formulary, non-preferred or brand name medication (for which there is a generic equivalent drug is available).  A 30-day supply is allowed for atypical antipsychotic agents subject to step therapy, this includes Zyprexa®.

If the prescriber is unavailable to either change the medication or obtain preauthorization, or if the prior authorization process is not completed, all Maryland Medicaid HealthChoice Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and the Maryland Medicaid fee-for-service Pharmacy Program will cover a minimum 72-hour supply of drugs.  

Pharmacists should use their professional judgment in determining whether the prescription is needed on an emergency basis.  The recipient may present mobility or access issues that make returning to the pharmacy very difficult or expensive.  The pharmacist should take this factor into consideration when deciding whether or not it is critical to dispense an emergency supply.

It will be necessary for the pharmacist to request authorization to dispense an emergency supply of a prescription by calling a 24/7 telephone number.  In the case of sprays, inhalers, eye or ear drops, creams, ointments, antibiotics etc., it may be necessary to dispense the entire prescription as an emergency supply due to the way the drug is packaged or administered.

 For HealthChoice MCO and PAC members requiring an emergency supply of non-mental health and non-antiretroviral drugs, the pharmacist must contact the appropriate MCO Pharmacy Benefit Manager and follow their procedures before dispensing an emergency supply. Click here for detailed information regarding emergency supplies.

In the case of fee-for-service recipients or for mental health and antiretroviral drugs covered by the State, the number to call to obtain authorization to dispense an emergency supply is 800-932-3918.  During the 72-hour window, the pharmacist is to contact the prescriber who must obtain prior authorization before the remainder of the prescription can be dispensed.  After prior authorization has been established, the pharmacist can dispense the remainder of the prescription.

The Maryland Medicaid Pharmacy Program Preferred Drug List (PDL) is included on Epocrates. Visit Epocrates and click on "Epocrates Online" or "My Account" to register for your free Epocrates online account. The PDL is updated weekly.
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Maryland Medicaid Pharmacy Program

Preferred Drug List

The Maryland Medicaid Pharmacy Program Preferred Drug List (PDL) is included on Epocrates. Visit Epocrates and click on "Epocrates Online" or "My Account" to register for your free Epocrates online account. The PDL is updated weekly.

Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Maryland Medicaid Pharmacy Program Provider Advisories

Maryland Medicaid Provider Transmittals

Maryland Board of Pharmacy

This website is maintained by Health Information Designs Inc., which is under contract with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) to provide technical support  for the Maryland Medicaid Pharmacy Program. Links to the DHMH Maryland Medicaid Pharmacy Program and other DHMH websites are provided.  Questions concerning this website should be directed to the website administrator at 1-866-260-2555.