Iowa patients can request free drug disposal kits; pharmacists can submit for reimbursement
DES MOINES, IA and SANFORD, NC – June 24, 2021 – Through a collaboration with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy and Iowa Department of Human Services, Iowa pharmacies may choose to participate in a program designed to reduce the opioid epidemic by providing medication disposal education and a medication disposal tool, such as DisposeRx®, to patients.
MedOne will facilitate the program, which enables patients to receive two disposal kits every 30-days at no cost ($0 patient copay). Pharmacies will be reimbursed $7.50 for providing a disposal kit and patient education. This new drug disposal initiative will commence on July 1, 2021 and builds on Iowa’s NARCAN Dispensing Program that launched in July 2020.
“Opioid-related deaths in Iowa increased 35% last year, and the Drug Disposal Kit Program complements the efforts of the NARCAN project, which was designed to reduce addiction rates and deaths,” said Mitchell Barnett, PharmD, MS, associate director, Iowa Prescription Monitoring Program for the Iowa Board of Pharmacy. “Approximately 250 Iowa pharmacies participated in the NARCAN program, and we are hoping even more will take part in our new initiative.”
DisposeRx is available without a prescription, and a pharmacy may easily submit a claim by generating a prescription using the product NDC and the pharmacy or pharmacist as the prescriber. Additional pharmacy electronic billing information, including BIN and PCN, may be found here.
Funding is made available through the State Opioid Response (SOR2) grant, funded by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
“We are honored to be included in this very important initiative. The State of Iowa is one of a handful of pioneering states that recognize the important role pharmacists play in educating and counseling patients about safe medication disposal and providing reimbursement for pharmacists’ time and services. We applaud the commitment to patient safety and prevention.”
“We are honored to be included in this very important initiative,” said William Simpson, DisposeRx president and chief executive officer. “The State of Iowa is one of a handful of pioneering states that recognize the important role pharmacists play in educating and counseling patients about safe medication disposal and providing reimbursement for pharmacists’ time and services. We applaud the commitment to patient safety and prevention.”
Additional information regarding the program can be found on the Iowa Board of Pharmacy’s website.
