Vaccine Starter Kit Program FAQs Program How does this program help Health Mart pharmacies provide vaccines for their customers? McKesson has designed a comprehensive program specifically for Health Mart pharmacies interested in establishing a vaccine practice to diversify their business. The Vaccine Starter Kit program includes one year of high-touch customer support from a dedicated vaccine representative through all the key steps of developing a vaccination program, including training, regulatory guidelines 1, administration, product, reimbursement, and marketing. This program provides pharmacies with step-by-step guidance to simplify the complexities of starting a vaccine program in their store. How much does the program cost? A one-time charge of $149 covers the entire 12-month program. Customers are invoiced for this charge by McKesson. How does the vaccine representative provide support to customers? The vaccine representative will call the customer once per month, reviewing a different topic each month. Each call should take 30 minutes or less, depending on the discussion. The representative will follow up via email with the applicable resources and information discussed on the call. Customers are also able to contact the vaccine representative directly via email or phone. What topics are covered during the calls? Topics discussed in this program include certification, reimbursement, marketing, regulatory requirements, Collaborative Practice Agreements, pharmacy workflow, administrative information and more. 1 All regulatory information and drafted collaborative practice agreements are provided to pharmacies from a third party service platform, Bula Law.
What are the criteria for participation in this program? Only Health Mart pharmacies are eligible for this program. How do I enroll in the program? Visit http://my.healthmart.com/vsk/enroll for the link to the enrollment platform. What happens when I enroll? Within 1 week of enrollment, you will receive a phone call from a vaccine representative, who will provide an overview of the program. During the first call, the representative will also review the certification needed to administer vaccines in your pharmacy. After the first call, the vaccine representative will call you once per month. What do I get after each call? The vaccine representative will follow up each call with an email that includes a summary of the discussion, relevant resources and next steps for your pharmacy. What is the Your Guide to Pharmacy Immunizations binder? When should I use it? Your Guide to Pharmacy Immunizations is a binder of information that provides a comprehensive overview of the major steps to starting a vaccine practice at your pharmacy. It covers reimbursement, regulatory guidelines, collaborative practice agreements, storage & handling, product information and more. You should reference this binder throughout the program, and have it on hand during your monthly calls. The vaccine representative will reference certain sections of the binder during some of the monthly calls. Is this program for pharmacies that want to administer flu or core vaccines? This program supports pharmacies who want to administer flu and/or core vaccines. The program will provide information for ordering, storing and administering both flu and core vaccines. Can I only sign up for a drafted collaborative practice agreement? No. You must sign up for the entire program. As part of the program, you ll receive a drafted collaborative practice agreement and best practices for identifying and approaching a physician for a signature. However, if you are interested in receiving a physician signature, you can enroll in the Collaborative Practice Agreement. This program is only available to Health Mart pharmacies in certain states. Visit http:// my.healthmart.com/vsk/enroll to find out if you are eligible. Can I sign up for just six months of support?
No. You must sign up for the entire program. However, you do have the flexibility to complete tasks at your own pace. Who can I contact if I have questions? You can email immunize@mckesson.com with any questions about the Vaccine Starter Kit program. What if I can't commit to the entire program, but just want the "Your Guide to Pharmacy Immunizations" binder? You can order the "Your Guide to Pharmacy Immunizations" binder without enrolling in the Vaccine Starter Kit program. This binder provides general guidelines on how to start up a vaccine program in your store. It can be purchased on McKesson Connect using item number 3428653. Certification What certification programs are necessary for a pharmacist to provide vaccines at their store? Do you cover all of them? Although it may differ by state, most pharmacies need to complete an ACPE-accredited Immunization Delivery course, CPR, and Bloodborne Pathogen training. We will provide resources and/or access for these three certification courses as part of the Vaccine Starter Kit program. Are the three certification courses included in the $149 program fee? The Bloodborne Pathogen certification training is available on Health Mart University and is included in the $149 program fee. CPR and ACPE-immunization courses are an additional fee and must be taken through other organizations. The cost of the CPR training course will depend on the program you choose to take. Most ACPE-accredited immunization trainings cost about $240. Product Will I place a product order during this program? Yes, you may place a flu or vaccine product order during this program. The vaccine representative will cover product ordering information during two calls so that you are prepared to order product whenever you are ready. What kind of product support do you provide? As part of this program, customers will receive detailed product ordering information for flu and core vaccines; flu vaccine pre-order timeline; ancillary supply list and recommendations; and access to Health Mart s exclusive discount for Novartis flu vaccines. When is the flu pre-order season?
The flu pre-order season lasts from January 1 to May 31. If you order by March 31, you can lock in lower pricing as part of the early bird pricing period. When do flu products arrive? Flu products typically arrive in our distribution centers in August-September. It is hard to predict which manufacturer will receive FDA release and deliver their flu vaccines first. It is not consistent each season. In the event of any supply delays, McKesson will contact you to see if you would like to substitute your delayed pre-ordered product for one that is available. McKesson recommends all customers diversify their flu pre-order across multiple manufacturers. What are core vaccines? How do I buy them? Core vaccines include all recommended vaccines besides flu. Almost all core vaccines are ordered on McKesson Connect like any other drug and are shipped next day. However, there are a few vaccines, including Zostavax for shingles, that are ordered through Connect and then drop shipped to your store from the manufacturer, which can often take a few days. Reimbursement What reimbursement support does this program provide? This program provides guidance on reimbursement for vaccinations, with a focus on Medicare Part B reimbursement. Influenza, Pneumococcal and Hepatitis B (for medium and high risk patients) vaccines are billed through Medicare Part B, while all other vaccines are billed under Medicare Part D. You ll need to enroll as a Medicare Part B provider in order to be reimbursed for these vaccines. The Medicare Part B enrollment process can be lengthy and confusing. The Vaccine Starter Kit provides step by step guidance and access to necessary forms for completing this process. Will McKesson provide support for filing claims to Medicare Part B, once pharmacies are approved as Medicare Part B providers? While we do not provide support for Medicare Part B billing, we can provide contact information for several third party services that do. Regulatory What state-specific regulatory information is included in this program? Customers will receive a comprehensive, state-specific regulatory report outlining immunization requirements for the pharmacy by the third party service platform, Bula
Law. The report includes information on what vaccines you can provide, who you can vaccinate, what certifications you need, and more. What is a Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA)? Are CPAs included in this program? A CPA (or Standing Order ) is a document, signed by a certified physician, authorizing a pharmacy to provide specific vaccines to patients without individual prescriptions. Without a CPA, most pharmacies can still provide vaccinations, but would need prescriptions for each individual dispensed vaccine. Laws for CPAs vary by state. As part of this program, customers will receive a drafted CPA from the third party service platform, Bula Law. Will you provide a physician signature for the Collaborative Practice Agreement? The CPAs do not include physician signatures. However, customers will receive tips to identify and approach a physician for a signature. Marketing What marketing support is included in this program? Customers will receive a suite of customized marketing materials in order to promote their vaccination service to patients and prescribers. These materials may include bag stuffers, poster, signage and more. The program also includes best practices for marketing your new vaccine service. Lastly, customers have access to the Local Marketing Support hub to order additional marketing materials if needed. Administrative What administrative support is included in the program? Upon enrollment, customers will receive a binder titled, Your Guide to Pharmacy Immunizations. This binder includes comprehensive information on all aspects of establishing a vaccine practice. The vaccine representative will use this binder to focus on a few administrative areas: storage & handling, emergency plans, adverse events and pharmacy workflow. The customer will receive sample emergency plans, a storage & handling toolkit and more.