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The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced relaxation in HIPAA rules for covered entities and business associates who participate in good faith in the COVID-19 testing site operation. It doesn't stop there, but HIPAA penalties won't apply to covered healthcare providers for practicing telehealth medicine using third-party applications such as Skype or Facebook Messenger

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced relaxation in HIPAA rules for covered entities and business associates who participate in good faith in the COVID-19 testing site operation.

Medical billing process relies on efficient medical billing and coding services. It is an intricate activity that requires a lot of concentration and precision.  Medical billers and coder need to be professional and capable enough of handling multitasking.

It is one of the enormous challenges to collect the data and information of all the patients for completing the administrative duties. There are specific tasks which require the complete data collection of the patient for better results.

The window for MIPS 2019 performance score review is closed now. Now, eligible physicians must focus on MIPS 2020 data submission and enjoy flexibilities amidst COVID to compensate for the lost revenue.

Corona has overburdened the healthcare system, and CMS has announced some relaxations for eligible physicians to facilitate them. Read how CMS has eased the MIPS 2020 data submission process.

Medical doctor (MD) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) are two different entities that work with the same mission but different approaches, as DO goes with a holistic approach for treatment. QPP MIPS, being an incentive payment program, allows them both to deliver quality healthcare to patients. However, there are a few commonly used MIPS Quality Measures that both doctors can use and register their value-based care. Last year, the condition was a little different with MIPS data submission, but for MIPS 2021, the requirements are seen to be a bit flexible, and the corona pandemic is the reason for that. From Advance Care Plan to the MIPS Quality Measures, associated with the common illnesses and conditions, eligible clinicians have to check which measures are most suitable for their practice. An easy way to go through the process of MIPS 2021 reporting is to find a MIPS Qualified Registry. They have the resources and the trained MIPS consultants to help you meet your objectives.

Medical doctor (MD) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) are two different entities that work with the same mission but different approaches, as DO goes with a holistic approach for treatment. QPP MIPS, being an incentive payment program, allows them both to deliver quality healthcare to patients.

AMA recently released the new CPT codes for COVID-19 vaccines. Medical billing services can take notes of them to better accommodate the billing requirements.

Expressing its concerns over the Government's decision to make Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for health workers in England, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has said an "informed choice" is better than compulsory vaccination. Health secretary Sajid Javid said today (Nov 9) that health workers in England will have to be vaccinated against Covid-19 by April 1, 2021, making it a mandatory condition of employment for those on the frontline of the NHS. "All those working in the NHS and social care will have to be vaccinated. We must avoid preventable harm and protect patients in the NHS, protect colleagues in the NHS and of course protect the NHS itself," Javid told parliament. The RPS said it "strongly encourages all pharmacists to take advantage of the Covid-19 vaccination programme and to get vaccinated unless there is a medical reason not to do so". It belies that "this is best practice" and part of the pharmacists' responsibility to act in the best interest of their patients.

Choosing to participate in the medical field is a wonderful opportunity. But perhaps you'd rather branch off a little bit from the norm and pick a slightly different career. If that's what you're hoping to achieve, then becoming a pharmacist may just be the right choice for you. Here's what you need to know before becoming a pharmacist and how you can easily pay for your degree. WHAT DOES A PHARMACIST DO? Honestly, it's surprising to think how many people underestimate the pharmacy profession. Some genuinely think that they're just people who give you medicine over the counter. And while this is certainly one of their duties, a pharmacist is so much more than that. Believe it or not, pharmacists are trained medical professionals.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) today released a new guidance to pharmaceutical companies using Disclosure UK which it said will boost transparency in the relationships between healthcare professionals, other relevant decision-makers and the industry. The guidance encourages companies to use 'Legitimate Interests' as their lawful basis for processing individual's data, in order to increase the number of named healthcare professionals and other individuals on Disclosure UK, the database showing the payments and benefits in kind made by the pharmaceutical industry to doctors,nurses and other health professionals and organizations. "I'm pleased the ABPI is launching this new guidance which will boost patient safety and public confidence in our healthcare professionals," Patient Safety and Primary Care Minister Maria Caulfield commented.

The Council of Pharmaceutical Society NI (PSNI) has introduced an 8-week public consultation on proposed Guidance on Pharmacy Staffing Levels within registered premises. The principle-based Guidance seeks to assist Pharmacy Owners and Superintendents to ensure that each pharmacy has enough appropriately skilled and qualified staff to provide safe and effective pharmacy services to the public. All registered pharmacies will have to meet the standards set out in the Premises Standards, when commenced. PSNI said: "The proposed Guidance should also help ensure a working environment that will facilitate pharmacists to meet their professional obligations under the Professional Standards of Conduct, Ethics and Performance for Pharmacists in Northern Ireland (2016)." "Whilst other health regulators have primary responsibility for systems regulation outside of regulated premises, we consider that the principles outlined in this Guidance, will be helpful for managers working with pharmacy teams in different settings."

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has issued a revised guidance for the dispensing of controlled drugs in instalments on 19 September that has been declared as a bank holiday for Her Majesty The Queen's state funeral. PSNC said: "Many instalment prescriptions have already been issued in advance of the upcoming Bank Holiday. Where they contain the Home Office approved wording "Please dispense instalments due on pharmacy closed days on a prior suitable day" then you will need to plan to make these supplies at an appropriate time. This wording would also permit the supply of the initial dose of a prescription starting on the Bank Holiday Monday where the date of the signature is before this." However, PSNC is aware that not all prescriptions will contain such a direction to support the supply, in advance, of a dose for Monday 19 September where the supplying pharmacy is closed. "We recognise that this client group are often vulnerable with multi-morbidities and that the risk to them may be significant. You should therefore exercise your professional discretion in determining when to make an instalment supply for the Bank Holiday Monday. Make the care of the patient your first priority and consider the potential impact of both making the supply in advance and of not making the supply in your decision making process. The exceptional circumstances that led to the Bank Holiday and its short notice may inform your decision."

The emergency provision of pharmaceutical services, introduced to help maintain pharmacy services during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been extended to March 31, 2022. The provision allows contractors to make temporary changes to opening hours or temporary closures in condition of adequate reasons for these changes. Before making such changes contractors have to give 24 hours' notice to the NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I), and take approval from the department.

If you're thinking of heading a startup, owning a local pharmacy could be an incredibly lucrative opportunity. When you set up a business in the healthcare sector, it's important to ensure that you operate with transparency to keep yourself and your patients safe. Whether you've acquired pharmacies before or you're turning to a new venture with different partners, learning the relevant steps before getting involved is imperative. Successful pharmacies rely on medical expertise, professional knowledge, and an excellent quality of service. Step 1: Do you need qualifications to be a pharmacist? No matter if you already have a background in pharmacy or you're entering the field from an entrepreneurial perspective, you'll need to have the right qualifications. You can become a pharmacist by completing a Master of Pharmacy degree at a university. Your chosen course needs to be approved by the General Pharmaceutical Council and will take at least four years to complete. After your degree, you'll also need to take the one-year pharmacist foundation training scheme. To access these courses, you'll usually need two or three A levels, including Chemistry. Alternatively, you could do a pharmacy foundation degree if you only have one A level or equivalent.

In response to concerns raised by pharmacy owners, the government has decided to adjust the August threshold for the Pharmacy First service from 20 to 15 clinical pathways. The ability of pharmacy owners to achieve the thresholds for the monthly Pharmacy First payments has been a topic of great concern. Community Pharmacy England (CPE) has been actively discussing this issue over the last few weeks with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. Ministers have now decided to adjust the August threshold for the Pharmacy First service to 15, CPE announced today (July 31). Commenting on this decision, Janet Morrison, CEO of Community Pharmacy England said: "We are pleased that Ministers have listened to our concerns and acted quickly to make an adjustment so soon after coming into office."

In a surprising move that has divided the pharmacy profession, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has sanctioned hundreds of pharmacies to allow patients to self-select certain Pharmacy (P) medicines, a decision met with strong opposition from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) as well as from the Pharmacy Defense Association (PDA). In a statement, RPS shared that at a board meeting held on 19th June, they expressed "disappointment" over what they described as a lack of prior consultation and comprehensive communication from the GPhC regarding the implications of this policy shift. They argue that allowing patients to self-select certain P medicines could potentially jeopardize established professional guidelines and compromise the role of pharmacists in ensuring safe medication use. "Enabled by the General Pharmaceutical Council, we understand that hundreds of pharmacies, from large multiples to small independents, have been approved by the regulator to enable patients to self-select certain P medicines," the statement said.