The shifting landscape of prescription drug delivery services and the impact on Medicare Advantage and Part D plans

Authored by Hubert Wong

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has implemented more flexible guidelines for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D plans. For retail pharmacies, Part D medication delivery documentation and signature log requirements are being temporarily suspended under these new guidelines for the delivery of prescription drugs. This leniency relaxation in the plan-imposed policies helps eliminate barriers for people wanting to have their prescription drugs delivered and encourages people to take advantage of this service.

According to Kaiser Family Foundation health statistics, the number of retail prescription drugs filled at pharmacies for Medicare and Medicaid in 2019 exceeded more than 1.6 billion in the United States. With the rapid rise of COVID-19 cases, U.S. consumers need to consider more convenient and safe options to fulfill their prescription drugs.

The impacts of COVID-19 on prescription drug delivery

Retail pharmacies have begun increasing their prescription drug delivery service options to meet increased demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, demonstrated by the recent launch of Amazon Pharmacy, the behavioral shift of consumers toward completing everyday errands from home has become increasingly more evident.

This extra convenience also creates more risks and responsibilities for retail pharmacies, health plans and healthcare providers to safeguard individuals’ protected health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). More prescription drug deliveries also add pressure on retail pharmacies to stay compliant with:

• Ensuring required temperature control guidelines of certain drugs during delivery
• Internal pharmacy documentation requirements
• Prescription drug delivery signature requirements upon returning to the standard policies
• Verification that only eligible medications are shipped based on state and federal laws and regulations