PFOA Headquarters Move from St Louis to
Coral Springs, Fl Complete
Although PFOA moved our main office from Saint Louis, MO to Coral Springs, FL last summer, we kept our phone lines in St Louis active until this time for your convenience.
As of this date, the phone line in St Louis has been disconnected. Our main phone number is now 954-340-5944 Ext 138. This line will be answered by our Administrative Assistant, April Adkin.
Our new fax number is 954-827-6379
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Welcome New Members!
Medicap Pharmacy 8366 Harrisonburg, VA
Morristown Pharmacy
Morristown, IN
Las Tunas Pharmacy
San Gabriel, CA
Lincourt Pharmacy
Clearwater, FL
Medicine Shoppe #2171
Eldorado, IL
Medicap Pharmacy
Nyssa, OR
Yreka Pharmacy
Yreka, CA
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FDA Issues Health Care Provider Information on Antibody Testing
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
is recommending that health care providers continue to use serological (antibody) tests intended to identify people who have been exposed to or recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). FDA specifically recommended the following for health care providers:
Continue to use serological (antibody) tests, as appropriate, however, be aware of their limitations,
Do not use serological (antibody) tests as the sole basis to diagnose COVID-19 but instead as information about whether a person may have been exposed, and
To help ensure that health care providers have access to accurate tests, FDA is working with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a
validation project to help identify the most promising serological tests. Providers are encouraged to report any adverse events or suspected adverse events experienced with serological tests via the
MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program.
Published by NABP
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CDC Issues Updated Guidance for Pharmacies During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The CDC recently published an updated guidance for pharmacies during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, based on the most recent information regarding safety practices and precautions for the disease.
The CDC explained that these guidelines should be applied to all staff in pharmacies so that it is possible to minimize risks to the health of staff and customers and to ensure that pharmacies are able to continuously stay open to support public health.
There were 4 major changes made from previous guidelines in the following areas:
- All people entering a pharmacy should wear a face covering, regardless of whether they present any symptoms. The only exceptions are for children under the age 2 and anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance, as they should not wear cloth face coverings for safety reasons.
- All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians should wear a facemask while in the pharmacy.
- Routine clinical preventive services that require face to face encounters, such as adult immunizations, should be postponed and rescheduled.
The other areas of the guidance echoed the previously detailed points by the CDC in prior COVID-19 updates. These points included continuing to:
Advise staff who are sick to stay home.
Provide hand sanitizer for customers on counters and sufficient soap and water and hand sanitizer for staff.
Encourage prescribers to submit prescription orders over the telephone or electronically place packaged medication on the counter for customers instead of handing it to them.
Use strategies to minimize close contact between staff and customers and between customers, including observing social distancing guidelines and other safety precautions.
Alana Hippensteele,
Published in Pharmacy Times,edited
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PFOA Staff
Contact Information
David Mayper
Executive Director
305-773-5822
April Adkin
Administrative Assistant
954-340-5944 x138
Mailing Address
2900 N. University Drive
Suite 70
Coral Springs, FL 33065
Wesley Behar
West Region Sales
661-904-4939
Karen Godbold
Projects Manager
407-456-3231
Karen@pfoai.org
Ronda Hubbard
Generics Specialist/Sales
407-492-8845
Fax: 270-632-4206
Patrick Kittoe
Southeast Sales
321-506-2769
Al Schuster
Northeast Sales
216-409-6597
Bob Sutton
Vendor Programs/Mid-West Sales
636-577-7107
Nancy Tataronis
Vendor Relations/Marketing
786-556-0007
Jamie Wilbanks
Inside Sales/Service
Toll Free: 888-406-7467
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As life has certainly changed in the US thanks to COVID-19, it has altered the PFOA staff method of operation. With the sales staff off the road, we have changed practices and in some cases, direction. We are pushing through with the CRM project focusing on verification of information. Within two weeks, we have been able to get half of our membership to respond to material meant to confirm the data we have on file. It revealed some surprising participation increases which we were unaware of. We have also been able to better identify different member contacts as well as a few closures and sales. This effort will allow us not only to have more accurate information for our sales force project but will also allow us to better identify our members' business usages and needs.
We have increased our electronic outbound reach to membership. Emails, social media postings, and outbound phone calls have all been key to keeping in touch with our members. We have been distributing pertinent information on COVID-19 related subjects. The staff meets in weekly webcasts as a staff and a sales staff which allows us to keep focused on activity and training.
On the vendor front, the vendor committee voted to accept the Ananda virtual warehouse program. We have been meeting with the Ananda staff and will be launching this program shortly.
Our staff is actively reviewing applicable PPE offerings for our membership and looking for appropriate COVID-19 testing opportunities. We are also looking for testing set up for our members for COVID-19 antibody and antigen tests. This also has us working with our members to verify or get CLIA waivers so they can perform testing.
P&L wise, the group has been positive through the first quarter but certainly not as robust as last year. April should show some nice income due to the increase in sales experienced by the members from the COVID-19 bump in March. Travel expenses should be considerably less as the sales staff is not on the road and multiple trade shows have been canceled.
It is critical that PFOA stays relevant during this time and uses our time wisely. We will be looking to help the member through this COVID-19 crisis and make sure we are prepared for the next steps once they arrive. I want to thank you, the pharmacy owners, your staff, and your families as independent pharmacy is involved in healthcare at this time.
Yours Truly,
David Mayper
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Lawmakers Seek to Eliminate DIR Fees as Part of COVID-19 Relief Efforts
Lawmakers are seeking to eliminate DIR fees as the coronavirus pandemic continues straining small business, independent community pharmacies.
One hundred fifteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives are supporting a bipartisan push to include language permanently prohibiting pharmacy DIR clawbacks by pharmacy benefit managers in future coronavirus relief packages.
A
letter
, led by Reps. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Doug Collins, (R-Ga.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), was sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
The letter stated, "We must keep pharmacies open during this crisis. Pharmacy DIR reform has strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. We ask for these reforms to be enacted now and hope that Members of Congress will not overlook the critical need to ensure the sustainability of pharmacies during this public health emergency."
A National Community Pharmacists Association
analysis
released last week found that 66% of independent pharmacies are experiencing such negative cash flow issues as DIR fees, decreasing reimbursement and coronavirus-related expenses. That means pharmacies are paying more for inventory and clawback fees, which makes it difficult to stay in business, NCPA said.
"Independent pharmacies are stepping up to help their communities through the coronavirus crisis," NCPA CEO Doug Hoey said. "They are expanding home delivery zones, putting their own health and safety on the line, continuing to provide a paycheck to thousands of workers - quite literally, they are doing more with less as PBMs claw back funds and reimburse prescriptions below the pharmacy's cost."
NCPA noted that half of pharmacy owners reported paying more than $10,000 in pharmacy DIR fees since March 1. If this pace continues, the average independent pharmacy will be on track to have over $100,000 clawed back in the next 12 months.
"The majority of neighborhood pharmacies are already experiencing negative cash flow issues and, for their efforts to help through this pandemic, will get a big bill months from now as PBMs come calling for DIR fees," Hoey said. "Eliminating these fees and reining in PBMs has never been more vital if pharmacies are to continue operating now and when this emergency passes. Our continued thanks to those policymakers who understand this and are fighting for PBM reform."
By Sandra Levy, Published in Drug Store News
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The Top 10 Drugs Losing U.S. Exclusivity in 2020
Each year, drugmakers face costly losses of exclusivity for big-selling old medicines, forcing them to continually develop and launch new drugs as they strive for growth. While some major brands like Lyrica and Herceptin lost exclusivity last year-with more expected for the coming years-2020 will feature the introduction of important new generics, as well.
Truvada, Gilead's HIV drug that's been in the news a lot lately, is set to top the list. The drug pulled in $2.6 billion in the U.S. last year, and under a patent deal with Teva Pharmaceuticals, it'll face new generics in September.
Meanwhile, Gilead is locked in a dispute with the U.S. government on HIV prevention patents on the medicine.
Aside from Truvada, 2020's top U.S. losses of exclusivity include medications from Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Eli Lilly and others. They're drugs already facing new generics under year-end 2019 launches, plus those expected to lose exclusivity later in the year. The list totals some $8 billion in 2019 U.S. sales.
Down the line, many in the industry are tracking the 2023 downfall of AbbVie's Humira protection. The drug is so important to AbbVie that the drugmaker inked a massive buyout in Allergan to help prepare for that patent cliff. Roche's Lucentis and Novartis' Gilenya might also face generics or biosims soon, but those copycats don't seem likely in 2020 as of now.
Biogen's Tecfidera and Amgen's Enbrel have also dodged immediate competition, thanks to
a
win
at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and in
federal court
, respectively. And Takeda's Dexilant is set to face competition sometime in the coming years, but
Endo
says
the terms of its patent settlement with the Japanese drugmaker are confidential.
With patent lawsuits, settlements, FDA setbacks and other constantly changing factors, it's impossible to predict generic entry in many cases. This report is intended to be a point-in-time look at likely losses of exclusivity based on public filings, company statements and FDA records.
The top 10 drugs losing U.S. exclusivity in 2020
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Have You Signed In to Our New Website?
The new PFOA website includes vendor information and industry news.
The Members Only section provides rebate information specific to your store(s).
Currently, PFOA sends out email notifications of rebate information from our major vendor partners. At some point, PFOA may eliminate these notifications and provide the information to you on our website.
to get access to information for PFOA members.
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PFOA
Board of Directors
President:
Todd Pendergraft
todd@bafamilydrug.com
Vice President:
Larry McIntosh
Larry@PharmaxPharmacy.com
Secretary:
Phil Rigsby
256-536-1910
phillip@huntsvillecompounding.com
Gabriel Guijarro
936-634-3006
grgrph@gmail.com
rprp3@aol.com
David Spence
979-665-6395
wdspence1@gmail.com
Ty Stout
661-717-1814
tystout@eltejonpharmacy.com
John Zuzack
jdzuzack@gmail.com
Non-Voting Board Members:
Dirk Andrepont
337-948-7703
Gaye Moseman
910-617-8549
Board of Directors
President:
Doug Coyle
Vice President:
Gabriel Guijarro
936-634-3006
grgrph@gmail.com
Secretary:
David Cole
610-539-7282
Treasurer:
PFOA-MC
Board of Directors
President:
Eric Pusey
Treasurer:
Bobbie Barbrey
919-345-8736
Secretary:
Gene Windom
407-773-1102
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Get Linked In!
Pharmacy Franchisees and Owners Assn
(FPN) Federation of Pharmacy Networks
(NCPDP) National Council for Prescription Drug Programs
(NCPA) National Community Pharmacists Association
(NABP) National Association of
Boards of Pharmacy
(NASPA) National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations
Pharmacist E-Link
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