Pharmacies cannot directly bill medicare for compounded drugs sent to physicians

摘要

The FDA isn't the only federal agency under fire for its policies on compounding pharmacies. A little-discussed final rule, issued in November by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), concerns policies for physician payments starting January 1,2013. The rule prohibits pharmacies from billing Medicare directly for compounded drugs that they supply to physicians' offices for administration to patients via implantable intrathecal pumps.' Almost all of these drugs are compounded Schedule II controlled substances (e.g., morphine, hydromorphone, fentanyl, bu-pivacaine, clonidine, and baclofen).