Top Stories
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Expand Access To Immunizations To School-Aged Children
For more than 18 years, well-trained and certified pharmacist immunizers have been safely vaccinating Texans of all ages under a physician’s written protocol. READ MORE
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VDP Notice: Pharmacy Claims Billing For New Medicare-Medicaid Plans
Beginning March 1, 2015, some Medicaid clients enrolled in the STAR+PLUS managed care program will have new pharmacy claims billing information. READ MORE
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Respiratory Syncytial Virus Season Extended for HHS Regions 3, 7, 8, and 11
Based upon recommendations from the Texas Pediatric Society RSV Task Force, HHSC will extend the RSV season through March 15 for... READ MORE
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Member Spotlight: David Maize, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences - University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy
It’s not surprising that Dr. David Maize chose a career teaching pharmacy. Maize, the Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of the Incarnate Word’s Feik School of Pharmacy, has a background tailor-made for a future in healthcare academia. READ MORE |
Advocacy
Expand Access To Immunizations To School-Aged Children
Support Sb 480 By Sen. Charles Perry
 For more than 18 years, well-trained and certified pharmacist immunizers have been safely vaccinating Texans of all ages under a physician’s written protocol. The problem is, that other than the flu shot that does not require a prescription, anyone under 14 years of age must first see a doctor, get a prescription, and present it to the pharmacy before the pharmacist can administer any other vaccine.
Six years ago when there was a widespread fear that the H1N1 virus could spread across the country, the Texas legislature changed the law to allow pharmacists to administer flu shot under the physician’s protocol without a prescription, to anyone 7 years and older. See the full story here.
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Around Texas
VDP Notice: Pharmacy Claims Billing For New Medicare-Medicaid Plans
Beginning March 1, 2015, some Medicaid clients enrolled in the STAR+PLUS managed care program will have new pharmacy claims billing information.
The Texas Dual Eligible Integrated Care Project is a new way to serve people in STAR+PLUS who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, known as dual eligibles. The goal of the project is to better coordinate the care these individuals receive. Participating counties in the demonstration project are limited to Bexar, Dallas, El Paso, Harris, Hidalgo, and Tarrant.
Outpatient prescription claims for dual eligible clients participating in a Medicare-Medicaid Plan (MMP) will no longer require any upfront coordination of benefits (COB) between Medicare and Medicaid. The coordination between the two programs will occur seamlessly to pharmacies by submitting the claim only to the specific MMP.
Usual COB processing would only be required if the dual eligible client is not participating in the MMP or has other commercial insurance.
Pharmacy staff should contact the appropriate MMP for claims billing instructions using our online resources. VDP encourages you to post these documents in your pharmacy for easy reference and to reproduce this information for educational purposes with your staff. The Pharmacy Assistance Chart, and other managed care billing information, can be found online here.
Direct links:
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2014-15 Respiratory Syncytial Virus Season Extended for HHS Regions 3, 7, 8, and 11
Based upon recommendations from the Texas Pediatric Society RSV Task Force, HHSC will extend the RSV season through March 15 for Regions 3, 7, 8, and 11. The RSV season that began October 1 will end February 28. The RSV season that began November 1 will end March 31. Please refer to this season’s schedule by region for exact dates.
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National News
PTCB Turns 20
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Pharmacy  Technician Certification Board (PTCB). As the only nationally accepted certification program for pharmacy technicians, PTCB has granted more than 550,000 certifications since its founding on January 31, 1995. "PTCB’s 20-year anniversary represents a time to celebrate the invaluable contributions of CPhTs to the pharmacy team,” said PTCB Executive Director & CEO Everett B. McAllister, RPh, MPA. "PTCB applauds the nation’s dedicated CPhTs, often the innovators in the pharmacy who efficiently run operations and optimize pharmacy systems, and thereby advance patient care and safety.”
Read the full story here.
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Association News
Texas Pharmacy Magazine Launches
Check your mailboxes… Texas Pharmacy magazine, TPA's new  quarterly magazine is in the mail.
The magazine is also available in a digital version, which you'll find by clicking here.
"TPA is proud to again provide a communication vehicle for our members that addresses current issues and events in a more comprehensive way,” stated TPA CEO Joe DaSilva. "In addition to a members-only distribution, TPA has provided complimentary copies of Texas Pharmacy to our elected state legislative leaders, senators and representatives.
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Pharmacists to Share Views on Future of Pharmacy
TPA will be hosting "Dinner Discussions” around the state through April 14 in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock, McAllen, San Antonio, and Tyler. Pharmacists in attendance will share their views on the future of pharmacy. More to come…
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Now Accepting Nominations for 2015 Texas Pharmacy Association Awards
Awards Nominations Deadline is April 15, 2015
One of the duties and privileges of a professional association is to recognize excellence within the profession. TPA pays special tribute to these members each year at the conference. The TPA Association Affairs Council is seeking nominations for several prestigious association awards to be presented during the 2015 TPA Conference & Expo. Use the links below to see a list of the awards and criteria for selection of the award recipient and the nomination form.
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Pharmacy Night with the Houston Rockets
Friday, March 27th 2015 • 7:00 pm @ Toyota Center
Come support the Texas Pharmacy Foundation as you enjoy the Houston Rockets game as they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. A portion of the ticket prices will benefit the Foundation!
Click here to Order Your Tickets: Code: pharmacy
Or contact Josh Massey @ 713-758-7455 • joshm@rocketball.com
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Member Spotlight: David Maize, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences - University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy
It’s not surprising that Dr. David Maize chose a career teaching pharmacy. Maize, the Associate Dean, Academic Affairs and Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of the Incarnate Word’s Feik School of Pharmacy, has a  background tailor-made for a future in healthcare academia.
"I always loved chemistry and I come from a family of teachers,” says Maize. "Originally, I wanted to become a high school chemistry teacher, but ultimately decided to pursue pharmacy.
Maize, originally from Stoystown, Pennsylvania, received his bachelor’s in pharmacy from Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA) in 1991. He then went on to West Virginia University and received his PhD. in Pharmacology/Toxicology in 1996.
"I really enjoyed my time at Duquesne,” says Maize. "And West Virginia has a huge medical center—I had lots of opportunities there.”
At West Virginia, Maize focused on pulmonary pharmacology, and earned his doctorate studying how ozone affects people’s breathing capacity.
"I did my dissertation on the effects of ozone on the lungs,” says Maize. "One thing I saw was that there were higher incidences of emergency room asthma visits on sunny days (where ozone levels are higher). "That’s why now you hear the term "Ozone Action” day. In simple terms, I learned that that we have an enzyme in our lungs that protects us from "over-contraction,” and that ozone inactivates the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, thus rendering people more vulnerable to breathing problems.”
Before coming to San Antonio to teach at Feik, Maize worked in a community pharmacy, two grocery chains, and also worked for CVS for close to 15 years.
Maize joined the staff at Feik School of Pharmacy 10 years ago, and continued to work at CVS on a part-time basis for about seven years after starting at Incarnate Word.
"I really love practicing pharmacy,” he says. "The increase in prescription volume took some of the fun out of it, and not practicing full-time, it became more difficult to keep up with the drugs. In today’s reality, you need specialists keeping up with all of the new drugs, and pharmacists are those specialists.”
At Feik School of Pharmacy, Maize’s teaching duties include pharmacology, anatomy and physiology. Additionally, he is a brother of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity and is the co-advisor for the school’s chapter—in 2011 he was named the top advisor in the country.
"The thing that I try to stress to my students is that pharmacy school is not about grades,” says Maize. "It’s about acquiring the knowledge to treat and help people. So my students should have the moral obligation to learn as much as they can in order to treat patients effectively. If that earns them an "A”, then great. Being a pharmacist is a life-long process in education. Every patient encounter could be something new.”
Additional Training
Maize has also offered numerous continuing education programs in HIV prevention, and considers HIV education an important priority in today’s environment.
"Certainly we’ve come a long way in HIV drug therapy,” says Maize. "Today, you can look at HIV as a long term condition. While the number of deaths is dropping, sadly, the rates of new infections are not. This is because treatment has gone from multiple drugs in multiple pills to multiples drugs is a single pill. This has made treatment much easier for a patient. The idea of a once-a-day drug with long term survival has caused people to lower their guard concerning HIV transmission.”
As a specialist in pulmonary pharmacology, Maize is also an expert on smoking cessation, and offers us a brief primer on the nature of tobacco addiction.
"Nicotine is a very lethal poison that was once used to kill people during medieval times,” he says. "High doses cause respiratory paralysis. But it’s highly nauseating, so that in some ways helps prevent toxic doses while smoking. When I teach smoking cessation, I let people know that nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. The body clears it out rapidly, but builds up a tolerance during the course of the day. So when a person wakes up, the craving is full force. That’s why the morning hours are the most difficult for folks who are trying to quit. Unlike alcohol addiction, you can stop nicotine addiction cold turkey, and I believe that’s the best way, Becoming cognizant of the triggers is the key. To make the cravings a little easier, pharmacists are a source of good advice on nicotine replacement therapy.”
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Texas State Board of Pharmacy Update
This program will provide a review of the recent changes in rules relating to the practice of pharmacy in Texas and an update of current issues facing the Board. Register by March 31!
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TPA's Twitter feed is growing! Follow for the latest in pharmacy news. Spread the word!Back to Top
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Table of Contents
Advocacy
Expand Access To Immunizations To School-Aged Children
Around Texas
VDP Notice: Pharmacy Claims Billing For New Medicare-Medicaid Plans
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Season Extended for HHS Regions 3, 7, 8, and 11
National News
PTCB Turns 20
Association News
Texas Pharmacy Magazine Launches
Pharmacists to Share Views on Future of Pharmacy
Now Accepting Nominations for 2015 Texas Pharmacy Association Awards
Pharmacy Night with the Houston Rockets
Member Spotlight: David Maize, University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy
TPA Educational Opportunities
TPA offers other education programs on a wide range of topics. For information on all of TPA’s upcoming educational events, visit the TPA Event Calendar & Online CE Calendar
2015 TPA Leadership Symposium • April 6-8
REGISTER NOW!
March CE - Free to TPA Members
Trending News
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