Billing and dispensing OTC COVID-19 tests is widespread throughout community pharmacies. PAAS National® wants to make sure pharmacies are prepared to provide the correct documentation in case of an audit. To date, PAAS has seen:
- Desk/invoice audits from Caremark, MedImpact and Prime Therapeutics,
- Regular desk audits from Humana
While the dollar amount of these claims does not seem audit worthy, PBMs are checking for Fraud, Waste and Abuse and contract violations. The PBMs have been known to reach out to the member to verify quantity, manufacturer, and proof of receiving the test kits from the pharmacy.
PAAS has created a COVID-19 Resources section for our members on the PAAS Member Portal. Here you can find the Medicare and Commercially-Insured Patient Request and Attestation for OTC COVID-19 Test Billing and Frequently Asked Questions . These documents have been created for our members to help answer questions and ease the documentation burden so pharmacies can save time and be audit ready.
What documentation to have in case of an audit:
Become an audit assistance member today to continue reading this article. As a member, you’ll have access to hundreds of articles and receive our monthly proactive newsletter!
Did you know there is much more to your audit assistance membership than just help with audits? The PAAS Member Portal contains a wealth of information and resources to assist you with audits and member service questions. Below is a list of 6 pages found on the Audit Assistance section of the PAAS Member Portal to assist you and your pharmacy staff to be proactive when it comes to audits.
  - Access Services  - Audit Documentation Submission Guidance
- An online form to submit safe filling and billing questions
- Your PAAS Membership Manual
 
- Newsline  - Monthly newsletter articles, written by our expert PAAS analyst team, provide safe filling and billing tips and relays relevant/current PBM trends to be help prevent audits
- Search the Newsline Archive to get PAAS tips at the click of a button
- Special Edition Newslines including: Top 10 articles of the prior year, DMEPOS Article Series and a Self-Audit Article Series
- Ability to print monthly issues or individual articles
 
- Proactive Tips  - Audit flags – list of various claim attributes the PBMs use to select claims for audit
- Billing insulin vials – flowchart to assist whether you should bill Medicare Part B vs Part D
- DAW Codes Explained – use to understand when to effectively use DAW codes, their definitions and why claims may be flagged for audit if a DAW code is used incorrectly
- Basic DMEPOS documentation guidance
- Onsite Credentialing Checklist and expanded definitions of policies and procedures
- Proof of refill request and affirmative response form for DMEPOS items
- Steps on how to prepare for an onsite audit
- And more!
 
- Days’ Supply Charts  - Utilize the days’ supply charts for inhalers, insulins, nasal sprays, eye drops and topicals to aid you in calculating the correct days’ supply
- Guidance on overbilled quantities and incorrect days’ supply account for a sizable portion of audit chargebacks
- Additional miscellaneous charts, which include: Dispense in Original Container and Return to Stock
 
- Forms  - Signature Logbook for print
- Signature Trifold Mailer
- Fax and Email Coversheet
- Patient Attestation for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits
 
- On-Demand Webinars  - Short webinars on hot topics in the PBM industry. Here are a few examples:
 - USP 800 Compliance
- Cultural Competency Training
- Dispensing Prescriptions Off-Label
- Biologic Medications and Interchangeability
- Continuous Glucose Monitor Requirements for Medicare Part B
 
 
PAAS Tips:
  - MORE AUDITS, MORE INSIGHT – PAAS National® is the industry-leading defender of community pharmacy dealings with Prescription Benefit Programs, including Caremark, Express Scripts, Humana, Medicaid, OptumRx, Prime Therapeutics., and more. PAAS assists on all third-party audits, including: desktop audits, onsite audits, invoice audits, OIG/Medicaid audits, Medicare B audits. The PAAS team is dedicated to helping you! We have five pharmacists and a complement of technician analysts with over 50 years of dedicated audit assistance experience. PAAS continuously updates their database with every audit received — in fact, we even keep a scorecard on individual auditors.
- Get answers to your questions on days’ supply calculations, drug substitutions, billing practices, required documentation, prior authorization requirements, record retention, and internal audit procedures – just to name a few. As a trusted partner, we will provide tailored guidance to help you proactively prevent audits. Remember, the prescription claims you submit today are the audits of the future.
- Keep your employees engaged and help lower audit risk by adding all employees to the portal and giving them permission to access these tools, resources and eNewsline. For more information review September 2019 Newsline article, What Are You Waiting For? Make Sure ALL of Your Employees are Added to the PAAS Portal!
- Contact PAAS at (608) 873-1342, if you would like a tour of your PAAS Member Portal, so you can reap all the benefits of your PAAS Audit Assistance. We appreciate you being a member.
Three Common Pitfalls to Avoid When Billing Oral Inhalers
Oral inhalers remain a high audit risk for all PBMs and being able to identify billing pitfalls may mean the difference between a claim safe from recoupment and one lost due to an improper DAW code, early refill, or overbilled quantity.Join today!
 - Access Services - Audit Documentation Submission Guidance
- An online form to submit safe filling and billing questions
- Your PAAS Membership Manual
 
- Newsline - Monthly newsletter articles, written by our expert PAAS analyst team, provide safe filling and billing tips and relays relevant/current PBM trends to be help prevent audits
- Search the Newsline Archive to get PAAS tips at the click of a button
- Special Edition Newslines including: Top 10 articles of the prior year, DMEPOS Article Series and a Self-Audit Article Series
- Ability to print monthly issues or individual articles
 
- Proactive Tips - Audit flags – list of various claim attributes the PBMs use to select claims for audit
- Billing insulin vials – flowchart to assist whether you should bill Medicare Part B vs Part D
- DAW Codes Explained – use to understand when to effectively use DAW codes, their definitions and why claims may be flagged for audit if a DAW code is used incorrectly
- Basic DMEPOS documentation guidance
- Onsite Credentialing Checklist and expanded definitions of policies and procedures
- Proof of refill request and affirmative response form for DMEPOS items
- Steps on how to prepare for an onsite audit
- And more!
 
- Days’ Supply Charts - Utilize the days’ supply charts for inhalers, insulins, nasal sprays, eye drops and topicals to aid you in calculating the correct days’ supply
- Guidance on overbilled quantities and incorrect days’ supply account for a sizable portion of audit chargebacks
- Additional miscellaneous charts, which include: Dispense in Original Container and Return to Stock
 
- Forms - Signature Logbook for print
- Signature Trifold Mailer
- Fax and Email Coversheet
- Patient Attestation for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits
 
- On-Demand Webinars - Short webinars on hot topics in the PBM industry. Here are a few examples:
- USP 800 Compliance
- Cultural Competency Training
- Dispensing Prescriptions Off-Label
- Biologic Medications and Interchangeability
- Continuous Glucose Monitor Requirements for Medicare Part B
 
 
- MORE AUDITS, MORE INSIGHT – PAAS National® is the industry-leading defender of community pharmacy dealings with Prescription Benefit Programs, including Caremark, Express Scripts, Humana, Medicaid, OptumRx, Prime Therapeutics., and more. PAAS assists on all third-party audits, including: desktop audits, onsite audits, invoice audits, OIG/Medicaid audits, Medicare B audits. The PAAS team is dedicated to helping you! We have five pharmacists and a complement of technician analysts with over 50 years of dedicated audit assistance experience. PAAS continuously updates their database with every audit received — in fact, we even keep a scorecard on individual auditors.
- Get answers to your questions on days’ supply calculations, drug substitutions, billing practices, required documentation, prior authorization requirements, record retention, and internal audit procedures – just to name a few. As a trusted partner, we will provide tailored guidance to help you proactively prevent audits. Remember, the prescription claims you submit today are the audits of the future.
- Keep your employees engaged and help lower audit risk by adding all employees to the portal and giving them permission to access these tools, resources and eNewsline. For more information review September 2019 Newsline article, What Are You Waiting For? Make Sure ALL of Your Employees are Added to the PAAS Portal!
- Contact PAAS at (608) 873-1342, if you would like a tour of your PAAS Member Portal, so you can reap all the benefits of your PAAS Audit Assistance. We appreciate you being a member.
Did you know there is much more to your audit assistance membership than just help with audits? The PAAS Member Portal contains a wealth of information and resources to assist you with audits and member service questions. Below is a list of 6 pages found on the Audit Assistance section of the PAAS Member Portal to assist you and your pharmacy staff to be proactive when it comes to audits.
PAAS Tips:
Are You Prepared for an OTC COVID-19 Test Audit?
Billing and dispensing OTC COVID-19 tests is widespread throughout community pharmacies. PAAS National® wants to make sure pharmacies are prepared to provide the correct documentation in case of an audit. To date, PAAS has seen:
While the dollar amount of these claims does not seem audit worthy, PBMs are checking for Fraud, Waste and Abuse and contract violations. The PBMs have been known to reach out to the member to verify quantity, manufacturer, and proof of receiving the test kits from the pharmacy.
PAAS has created a COVID-19 Resources section for our members on the PAAS Member Portal. Here you can find the Medicare and Commercially-Insured Patient Request and Attestation for OTC COVID-19 Test Billing and Frequently Asked Questions . These documents have been created for our members to help answer questions and ease the documentation burden so pharmacies can save time and be audit ready.
What documentation to have in case of an audit:
Did you know there is much more to your audit assistance membership than just help with audits? The PAAS Member Portal contains a wealth of information and resources to assist you with audits and member service questions. Below is a list of 6 pages found on the Audit Assistance section of the PAAS Member Portal to assist you and your pharmacy staff to be proactive when it comes to audits.
PAAS Tips:
MounjaroTM Off-Label Use for Weight Loss Spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E
PAAS National® analysts have received many phone calls regarding prescriptions for MounjaroTM – in most cases the medication is suspected of being used “off-label” for weight loss. While off-label use by prescribers is commonplace, what’s different for MounjaroTM is the frequency and expense; making it an attractive audit target. This poses significant risk of payment recovery, regardless of the payor.
Did you know there is much more to your audit assistance membership than just help with audits? The PAAS Member Portal contains a wealth of information and resources to assist you with audits and member service questions. Below is a list of 6 pages found on the Audit Assistance section of the PAAS Member Portal to assist you and your pharmacy staff to be proactive when it comes to audits.
PAAS Tips:
How Can I Avoid Humana Audits for Deceased Patients?
Humana has recently sent out audits to pharmacies with a subject line stating Review of claim(s) billed after member’s deceased date. This review is taking place, sometimes more than a year after the date of service, because some Medicare Part D claims were paid after a beneficiary passed away. Why would Humana wait so long to review these claims, and why did they not stop them at point of sale? Unfortunately, there is usually significant lag time from when a patient passes away to when this information is reported to the Social Security Administration, and then to CMS and Plan Sponsors.
Did you know there is much more to your audit assistance membership than just help with audits? The PAAS Member Portal contains a wealth of information and resources to assist you with audits and member service questions. Below is a list of 6 pages found on the Audit Assistance section of the PAAS Member Portal to assist you and your pharmacy staff to be proactive when it comes to audits.
PAAS Tips:
Caremark Cease and Desist Letters – Trudhesa®
PAAS National® analysts have recently assisted a few pharmacies that received “Cease and Desist” Letters from Caremark related to dispensing Trudhesa® nasal spray for migraines. The strongly worded letters alleged that pharmacies were in violation of the Provider Agreement and various sections of the Provider Manual.Join today!
 - Access Services - Audit Documentation Submission Guidance
- An online form to submit safe filling and billing questions
- Your PAAS Membership Manual
 
- Newsline - Monthly newsletter articles, written by our expert PAAS analyst team, provide safe filling and billing tips and relays relevant/current PBM trends to be help prevent audits
- Search the Newsline Archive to get PAAS tips at the click of a button
- Special Edition Newslines including: Top 10 articles of the prior year, DMEPOS Article Series and a Self-Audit Article Series
- Ability to print monthly issues or individual articles
 
- Proactive Tips - Audit flags – list of various claim attributes the PBMs use to select claims for audit
- Billing insulin vials – flowchart to assist whether you should bill Medicare Part B vs Part D
- DAW Codes Explained – use to understand when to effectively use DAW codes, their definitions and why claims may be flagged for audit if a DAW code is used incorrectly
- Basic DMEPOS documentation guidance
- Onsite Credentialing Checklist and expanded definitions of policies and procedures
- Proof of refill request and affirmative response form for DMEPOS items
- Steps on how to prepare for an onsite audit
- And more!
 
- Days’ Supply Charts - Utilize the days’ supply charts for inhalers, insulins, nasal sprays, eye drops and topicals to aid you in calculating the correct days’ supply
- Guidance on overbilled quantities and incorrect days’ supply account for a sizable portion of audit chargebacks
- Additional miscellaneous charts, which include: Dispense in Original Container and Return to Stock
 
- Forms - Signature Logbook for print
- Signature Trifold Mailer
- Fax and Email Coversheet
- Patient Attestation for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits
 
- On-Demand Webinars - Short webinars on hot topics in the PBM industry. Here are a few examples:
- USP 800 Compliance
- Cultural Competency Training
- Dispensing Prescriptions Off-Label
- Biologic Medications and Interchangeability
- Continuous Glucose Monitor Requirements for Medicare Part B
 
 
- MORE AUDITS, MORE INSIGHT – PAAS National® is the industry-leading defender of community pharmacy dealings with Prescription Benefit Programs, including Caremark, Express Scripts, Humana, Medicaid, OptumRx, Prime Therapeutics., and more. PAAS assists on all third-party audits, including: desktop audits, onsite audits, invoice audits, OIG/Medicaid audits, Medicare B audits. The PAAS team is dedicated to helping you! We have five pharmacists and a complement of technician analysts with over 50 years of dedicated audit assistance experience. PAAS continuously updates their database with every audit received — in fact, we even keep a scorecard on individual auditors.
- Get answers to your questions on days’ supply calculations, drug substitutions, billing practices, required documentation, prior authorization requirements, record retention, and internal audit procedures – just to name a few. As a trusted partner, we will provide tailored guidance to help you proactively prevent audits. Remember, the prescription claims you submit today are the audits of the future.
- Keep your employees engaged and help lower audit risk by adding all employees to the portal and giving them permission to access these tools, resources and eNewsline. For more information review September 2019 Newsline article, What Are You Waiting For? Make Sure ALL of Your Employees are Added to the PAAS Portal!
- Contact PAAS at (608) 873-1342, if you would like a tour of your PAAS Member Portal, so you can reap all the benefits of your PAAS Audit Assistance. We appreciate you being a member.
Did you know there is much more to your audit assistance membership than just help with audits? The PAAS Member Portal contains a wealth of information and resources to assist you with audits and member service questions. Below is a list of 6 pages found on the Audit Assistance section of the PAAS Member Portal to assist you and your pharmacy staff to be proactive when it comes to audits.
PAAS Tips:
LIVE WEBINAR NOVEMBER 9th – Sign Up Today!
Join President of PAAS National®, Trenton Thiede, PharmD, MBA for a LIVE webinar “Don’t give PBMs a reason to audit (or terminate): Off-label drug use and compliance requirements” on November 9, 2022 from 2:00-3:00 pm CT as he answers:
We will allow for some Q&A at the end of the webinar. If you would like to submit questions prior to the webinar, please click here.
SIGN UP TODAY!
PAAS Audit Assistance members will have access to a recording on the PAAS Member Portal if they are unable to attend the live event.
Does My Pharmacy Really Need Cultural Competency Training?
As a reminder, pharmacies are now required, as part of their NCPDP profile, to address if the pharmacy maintains evidence of cultural competency training. With the current staffing environment, all pharmacies want to know: do I really need to complete cultural competency training? Beyond NCPDP credentialing, here’s some additional consideration:
PAAS National® understands community pharmacies are short on time and resources. We’ve condensed more than 3 hours’ worth of training down to under an hour. The training is practical, and pragmatic – written by community pharmacists for the independent practice setting. PAAS’ Cultural Competency Training helps provide pharmacies a means to meet federal requirements, plus a certificate of completion, easily retrievable via the PAAS Member Portal.
As nondiscrimination in healthcare programs become increasingly important (and litigious), pharmacies need to position themselves to be culturally competent healthcare providers. This is further evidenced by the Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) looking to revise the implementation guidelines of Section 1557 in addition to sanctions for pharmacies not capable to serve patients based on individual needs.
PAAS Tips:
Are You Utilizing DAW Codes Correctly? Updated Tool Available!
In the September Newsline article, NCPDP Updates DAW Code Definitions to Encompass Interchangeable Biosimilars, you can find updated guidance for the utilization of Dispense As Written (DAW) codes with biologic drug products based on the August 2022 version of NCPDP Telecommunications Version D and Above Questions, Answers and Editorial Updates, set to go into effect October 15, 2023. Though the definitions were revised to include biologic drug products, the guidance holds true for all legend drugs. Now is the time to refamiliarize yourself with the best-practices for using DAW codes and to review DAW code audit pitfalls most seen by PAAS National® analysts. Additionally, the DAW Codes Explained tool has undergone a major overhaul to now include helpful tables, expanded DAW code definitions, PAAS tips, billing examples, and additional resources all in one place.
DAW Code Best PracticesJoin today!
 - Access Services - Audit Documentation Submission Guidance
- An online form to submit safe filling and billing questions
- Your PAAS Membership Manual
 
- Newsline - Monthly newsletter articles, written by our expert PAAS analyst team, provide safe filling and billing tips and relays relevant/current PBM trends to be help prevent audits
- Search the Newsline Archive to get PAAS tips at the click of a button
- Special Edition Newslines including: Top 10 articles of the prior year, DMEPOS Article Series and a Self-Audit Article Series
- Ability to print monthly issues or individual articles
 
- Proactive Tips - Audit flags – list of various claim attributes the PBMs use to select claims for audit
- Billing insulin vials – flowchart to assist whether you should bill Medicare Part B vs Part D
- DAW Codes Explained – use to understand when to effectively use DAW codes, their definitions and why claims may be flagged for audit if a DAW code is used incorrectly
- Basic DMEPOS documentation guidance
- Onsite Credentialing Checklist and expanded definitions of policies and procedures
- Proof of refill request and affirmative response form for DMEPOS items
- Steps on how to prepare for an onsite audit
- And more!
 
- Days’ Supply Charts - Utilize the days’ supply charts for inhalers, insulins, nasal sprays, eye drops and topicals to aid you in calculating the correct days’ supply
- Guidance on overbilled quantities and incorrect days’ supply account for a sizable portion of audit chargebacks
- Additional miscellaneous charts, which include: Dispense in Original Container and Return to Stock
 
- Forms - Signature Logbook for print
- Signature Trifold Mailer
- Fax and Email Coversheet
- Patient Attestation for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits
 
- On-Demand Webinars - Short webinars on hot topics in the PBM industry. Here are a few examples:
- USP 800 Compliance
- Cultural Competency Training
- Dispensing Prescriptions Off-Label
- Biologic Medications and Interchangeability
- Continuous Glucose Monitor Requirements for Medicare Part B
 
 
- MORE AUDITS, MORE INSIGHT – PAAS National® is the industry-leading defender of community pharmacy dealings with Prescription Benefit Programs, including Caremark, Express Scripts, Humana, Medicaid, OptumRx, Prime Therapeutics., and more. PAAS assists on all third-party audits, including: desktop audits, onsite audits, invoice audits, OIG/Medicaid audits, Medicare B audits. The PAAS team is dedicated to helping you! We have five pharmacists and a complement of technician analysts with over 50 years of dedicated audit assistance experience. PAAS continuously updates their database with every audit received — in fact, we even keep a scorecard on individual auditors.
- Get answers to your questions on days’ supply calculations, drug substitutions, billing practices, required documentation, prior authorization requirements, record retention, and internal audit procedures – just to name a few. As a trusted partner, we will provide tailored guidance to help you proactively prevent audits. Remember, the prescription claims you submit today are the audits of the future.
- Keep your employees engaged and help lower audit risk by adding all employees to the portal and giving them permission to access these tools, resources and eNewsline. For more information review September 2019 Newsline article, What Are You Waiting For? Make Sure ALL of Your Employees are Added to the PAAS Portal!
- Contact PAAS at (608) 873-1342, if you would like a tour of your PAAS Member Portal, so you can reap all the benefits of your PAAS Audit Assistance. We appreciate you being a member.
Did you know there is much more to your audit assistance membership than just help with audits? The PAAS Member Portal contains a wealth of information and resources to assist you with audits and member service questions. Below is a list of 6 pages found on the Audit Assistance section of the PAAS Member Portal to assist you and your pharmacy staff to be proactive when it comes to audits.
PAAS Tips:
DMEPOS Mini-Series #6 – Therapeutic Shoes for Diabetes
According to the CDC, there are more than 130 million adults with diabetes or pre-diabetes in the United States. Every 17 seconds someone is diagnosed. Noridian, Jurisdiction D, has been conducting Targeted Probe and Educate reviews of HCPCS code A5500, which is for therapeutic shoes. The quarterly results based on dollars from April through June 2022 show an improper payment rate of 52%! Every other claim for therapeutic shoes is denied due to lack of medical necessity and/or technical reasons. CGS also shows a pre-pay review Quarterly Status report for the same date range with an error rate of 62%! Please review the guidance below for the required documentation to bill and dispense therapeutic shoes, and what the top denial reasons are for recoupment.Join today!
 - Access Services - Audit Documentation Submission Guidance
- An online form to submit safe filling and billing questions
- Your PAAS Membership Manual
 
- Newsline - Monthly newsletter articles, written by our expert PAAS analyst team, provide safe filling and billing tips and relays relevant/current PBM trends to be help prevent audits
- Search the Newsline Archive to get PAAS tips at the click of a button
- Special Edition Newslines including: Top 10 articles of the prior year, DMEPOS Article Series and a Self-Audit Article Series
- Ability to print monthly issues or individual articles
 
- Proactive Tips - Audit flags – list of various claim attributes the PBMs use to select claims for audit
- Billing insulin vials – flowchart to assist whether you should bill Medicare Part B vs Part D
- DAW Codes Explained – use to understand when to effectively use DAW codes, their definitions and why claims may be flagged for audit if a DAW code is used incorrectly
- Basic DMEPOS documentation guidance
- Onsite Credentialing Checklist and expanded definitions of policies and procedures
- Proof of refill request and affirmative response form for DMEPOS items
- Steps on how to prepare for an onsite audit
- And more!
 
- Days’ Supply Charts - Utilize the days’ supply charts for inhalers, insulins, nasal sprays, eye drops and topicals to aid you in calculating the correct days’ supply
- Guidance on overbilled quantities and incorrect days’ supply account for a sizable portion of audit chargebacks
- Additional miscellaneous charts, which include: Dispense in Original Container and Return to Stock
 
- Forms - Signature Logbook for print
- Signature Trifold Mailer
- Fax and Email Coversheet
- Patient Attestation for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits
 
- On-Demand Webinars - Short webinars on hot topics in the PBM industry. Here are a few examples:
- USP 800 Compliance
- Cultural Competency Training
- Dispensing Prescriptions Off-Label
- Biologic Medications and Interchangeability
- Continuous Glucose Monitor Requirements for Medicare Part B
 
 
- MORE AUDITS, MORE INSIGHT – PAAS National® is the industry-leading defender of community pharmacy dealings with Prescription Benefit Programs, including Caremark, Express Scripts, Humana, Medicaid, OptumRx, Prime Therapeutics., and more. PAAS assists on all third-party audits, including: desktop audits, onsite audits, invoice audits, OIG/Medicaid audits, Medicare B audits. The PAAS team is dedicated to helping you! We have five pharmacists and a complement of technician analysts with over 50 years of dedicated audit assistance experience. PAAS continuously updates their database with every audit received — in fact, we even keep a scorecard on individual auditors.
- Get answers to your questions on days’ supply calculations, drug substitutions, billing practices, required documentation, prior authorization requirements, record retention, and internal audit procedures – just to name a few. As a trusted partner, we will provide tailored guidance to help you proactively prevent audits. Remember, the prescription claims you submit today are the audits of the future.
- Keep your employees engaged and help lower audit risk by adding all employees to the portal and giving them permission to access these tools, resources and eNewsline. For more information review September 2019 Newsline article, What Are You Waiting For? Make Sure ALL of Your Employees are Added to the PAAS Portal!
- Contact PAAS at (608) 873-1342, if you would like a tour of your PAAS Member Portal, so you can reap all the benefits of your PAAS Audit Assistance. We appreciate you being a member.
Did you know there is much more to your audit assistance membership than just help with audits? The PAAS Member Portal contains a wealth of information and resources to assist you with audits and member service questions. Below is a list of 6 pages found on the Audit Assistance section of the PAAS Member Portal to assist you and your pharmacy staff to be proactive when it comes to audits.
PAAS Tips:
Bill It Right – Diazepam Gel
Diazepam rectal gel continues to confuse prescribers and pharmacies alike when it comes to how a prescription is written and then ultimately filled and billed. According to FDA labeling, this medication “is intended for the acute treatment of intermittent, stereotypic episodes of frequent seizure activity (i.e., seizure clusters, acute repetitive seizures) that are distinct from a patient’s usual seizure pattern in patients with epilepsy 2 years of age and older.”
Diazepam gel comes in three strengths: 2.5 mg, 10 mg (5-7.5-10 mg), and 20 mg (12.5-15-17.5-20 mg). Each box contains two doses and is billed as “1 each.” The standard dosing for diazepam gel is one dose for appropriate seizure activity and repeat 4 to 12 hours later if prescribed. The FDA recommends that diazepam rectal gel be used to treat no more than five episodes per month and no more than one episode every five days, therefore one package should be considered a 5-day supply at minimum.
PAAS Tips:Join today!
 - Access Services - Audit Documentation Submission Guidance
- An online form to submit safe filling and billing questions
- Your PAAS Membership Manual
 
- Newsline - Monthly newsletter articles, written by our expert PAAS analyst team, provide safe filling and billing tips and relays relevant/current PBM trends to be help prevent audits
- Search the Newsline Archive to get PAAS tips at the click of a button
- Special Edition Newslines including: Top 10 articles of the prior year, DMEPOS Article Series and a Self-Audit Article Series
- Ability to print monthly issues or individual articles
 
- Proactive Tips - Audit flags – list of various claim attributes the PBMs use to select claims for audit
- Billing insulin vials – flowchart to assist whether you should bill Medicare Part B vs Part D
- DAW Codes Explained – use to understand when to effectively use DAW codes, their definitions and why claims may be flagged for audit if a DAW code is used incorrectly
- Basic DMEPOS documentation guidance
- Onsite Credentialing Checklist and expanded definitions of policies and procedures
- Proof of refill request and affirmative response form for DMEPOS items
- Steps on how to prepare for an onsite audit
- And more!
 
- Days’ Supply Charts - Utilize the days’ supply charts for inhalers, insulins, nasal sprays, eye drops and topicals to aid you in calculating the correct days’ supply
- Guidance on overbilled quantities and incorrect days’ supply account for a sizable portion of audit chargebacks
- Additional miscellaneous charts, which include: Dispense in Original Container and Return to Stock
 
- Forms - Signature Logbook for print
- Signature Trifold Mailer
- Fax and Email Coversheet
- Patient Attestation for over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits
 
- On-Demand Webinars - Short webinars on hot topics in the PBM industry. Here are a few examples:
- USP 800 Compliance
- Cultural Competency Training
- Dispensing Prescriptions Off-Label
- Biologic Medications and Interchangeability
- Continuous Glucose Monitor Requirements for Medicare Part B
 
 
- MORE AUDITS, MORE INSIGHT – PAAS National® is the industry-leading defender of community pharmacy dealings with Prescription Benefit Programs, including Caremark, Express Scripts, Humana, Medicaid, OptumRx, Prime Therapeutics., and more. PAAS assists on all third-party audits, including: desktop audits, onsite audits, invoice audits, OIG/Medicaid audits, Medicare B audits. The PAAS team is dedicated to helping you! We have five pharmacists and a complement of technician analysts with over 50 years of dedicated audit assistance experience. PAAS continuously updates their database with every audit received — in fact, we even keep a scorecard on individual auditors.
- Get answers to your questions on days’ supply calculations, drug substitutions, billing practices, required documentation, prior authorization requirements, record retention, and internal audit procedures – just to name a few. As a trusted partner, we will provide tailored guidance to help you proactively prevent audits. Remember, the prescription claims you submit today are the audits of the future.
- Keep your employees engaged and help lower audit risk by adding all employees to the portal and giving them permission to access these tools, resources and eNewsline. For more information review September 2019 Newsline article, What Are You Waiting For? Make Sure ALL of Your Employees are Added to the PAAS Portal!
- Contact PAAS at (608) 873-1342, if you would like a tour of your PAAS Member Portal, so you can reap all the benefits of your PAAS Audit Assistance. We appreciate you being a member.
Did you know there is much more to your audit assistance membership than just help with audits? The PAAS Member Portal contains a wealth of information and resources to assist you with audits and member service questions. Below is a list of 6 pages found on the Audit Assistance section of the PAAS Member Portal to assist you and your pharmacy staff to be proactive when it comes to audits.
PAAS Tips: