New! COVID-19 Vaccines
CPNP and Other Association Actions
- CPNP Joins Pharmacy Community in Recommending Inclusion of Pharmacists and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act in COVID-19 legislation
- Pharmacist Advocacy Groups Call for New Action to Enhance COVID-19 Patient Care
Pharmacy organizations representing the interests of all pharmacists in the United States have released a joint set of policy recommendations critical to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
APhA House of Delegates 2020: CPNP members Julie Dopheide and Sarah Melton represented APhA at the first ever virtual APhA House of Delegates (HOD) meeting due to the cancellation of the APhA Annual Meeting. The HOD addressed a number of COVID-19 pandemic emergency measures as summarized
online.
Added 3/24/20- CPNP Hosts Telepsychiatry Webinar
In this webinar, Jeff Gold, PharmD, BCPP, discusses how to safely and effectively provide telepsychiatric services, what to do in a crisis or emergency, technology issues, legal issues, and, telehealth etiquette. Added 3/25/20 - AMA, APhA, ASHP Issue Joint Statement About COVID-19 Medications
The organizations issued the joint statement to highlight the important role that physicians, pharmacists and health systems play in being just stewards of health care resources during times of emergency and national disaster. Added 3/26/20 - BPS Extends the Spring Examination Testing Window
The April-May 2020 Testing Window has been extended through June 30, 2020 as testing centers are closed through April 15, 2020 due to COVID-19. Additional information regarding exam cancelations and testing windows can be found in the
BPS press release.
Added 3/27/20 - Relax Pharmacy Regulations to Help with COVID-19 Testing and Treatment
This special edition policy brief is intended to promote effective ideas among key decision-makers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Added 4/1/20
- CPNP Joins Fellow Pharmacy Associations in Medicare Testing Support Letter
CPNP joined 12 other national pharmacy associations in submitting a joint letter to Senate and House leaders encouraging the establishment of pharmacists as providers within Medicare Part B to provide COVID-19 and flu testing on an emergency basis. Added 4/8/2020 - CPNP Joins Fellow Pharmacy Associations in HHS Letter Requesting Meeting to Discuss Testing Guidance Implementation for Pharmacist COVID-19 Response: April 17, 2020
- CPNP Joins MHLG Coalition Urging Policymakers to Cover Telehealth Services: April 24, 2020
- CPNP Joins 11 National Pharmacy Organizations in HHS Letter on COVID Testing Payment: May 8, 2020
- CPNP Joins Fellow Pharmacy Associations in Recommending Inclusion of Pharmacists in Student Loan Forgiveness: May 8, 2020
- CPNP Joins Pharmacy Organizations Requesting HHS Authorize Pharmacists to Order and Administer Approved COVID-19 Vaccines: June 29, 2020
Monitoring the Pandemic
- Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center
Dynamic website to help advance public and policymaker understanding of the virus. Includes a number of resources and tools such as an interactive map, daily updates, COVID-19 basics, answers to frequently asked questions. - CDC – Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Includes several resources for healthcare professionals and the community for monitoring and responding to the pandemic. - COVID-19 Trial Tracker
WCG has created a COVID-19 Clinical Trial Tracker to monitor the progress of the virus and of research into a treatment and/or vaccine. It also provides links to information about pausing, stopping or remotely running non-coronavirus trials. Added 4/7/20
Provision of Care in a Pandemic
- American Psychiatric Association: COVID-19 Mental Health Impacts: Resources for Psychiatrists
List of resources for mental health providers (and families) on a variety of topics related to COVID-19 including “Supporting the Mental Health of Patients During COVID-19: A Guide for Healthcare Personnel. - National Council for Behavioral Health Resources and Tools for Addressing Coronavirus
Includes various links and resources for Behavioral Health Organizations as well as links to resources to help patients such as ways to decrease anxiety regarding coronavirus. - WHO Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak
March 12th guidance from WHO regarding targeting different groups to support during the outbreak including healthcare workers, children, team leaders, and people in isolation. - American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Coronavirus Resources
Comprehensive list of guidance and resources impacting provision of addiction treatment in light of the coronavirus outbreak. Includes links to national guidance (eg, DEA, CMS, NIDA) and select state guidance. - National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): COVID-19 Potential Implications for Individuals with SUDs
COVID-19 could hit some populations with substance use disorders (SUDs) particularly hard. - ASAM Updated National Practice Guideline for Treating Opioid Use Disorder
The latest evidence-based approaches for clinicians to treat individuals living with OUD, including special populations, and suggests regulatory flexibility is needed to expand access to care—which is especially critical during the ongoing coronavirus emergency actions. -
More is now known about the serious psychiatric and neurological complications tied to Covid-19. A cross-specialty surveillance study of acute neurological and psychiatric complications of COVID-19 found that complications include strokes, psychosis and a dementia-like syndrome, according to research published in Lancet Psychiatry. These diagnoses often occur in younger patients. Added 7/28/20
Provision of Care-SAMHSA COVID Resources
Provision of Care-CMS Resources
- CMS COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Health Care Providers Fact Sheet (waivers)
Includes descriptions of various regulatory waivers available because of the emergency declaration including “Care for Excluded Inpatient Psychiatric Unit Patients in the Acute Care Unit of a Hospital” - CMS Sweeping Regulatory Changes to Help U.S. Healthcare System Address COVID-19 Patient Surge
The actions announced today introduce flexibilities to permit hospitals and healthcare systems to act as coordinators of healthcare delivery in their areas. Added 3/31/20 - CMS Coronavirus Waivers & Flexibilities
CMS provides information on new waivers, blanket waivers, state-specific waivers, and more. Added 3/31/20 - New Video Available on Medicare Coverage and Payment of Virtual Services
CMS released a video providing answers to common questions about the Medicare telehealth services benefit. CMS is expanding this benefit on a temporary and emergency basis under the 1135 waiver authority and Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. Added 4/7/20
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Regulatory waivers and rule changes to deliver expanded care to the nation’s seniors and provide flexibility to the healthcare system. Added 4/30/20
- COVID-19 Testing Technical Assistance
CMS guidance on how pharmacies and other suppliers currently enrolled in Medicare may also enroll temporarily as independent clinical diagnostic laboratories. Added 5/11/20 - CMS Announces 11 New Medicare Telehealth Services
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an expansion of its telehealth services list for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). CMS added 11 new services to its telehealth list, allowing for more rehabilitation services and neurostimulator analysis. The telehealth list now includes 249 different codes, including 146 that have been added temporarily. CMS also released a data snapshot on telehealth use - according to CMS, Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries received over 34.5 million telehealth services between March and June 2020, a 2,600% increase over last year. Added 10/25/20
Telehealth Resources
Clozapine
Patient Resources
Other Resources and Links of Interest
- AMA COVID-19 resource center
Contains updates from the American Medical Association with helpful information such as links to new webinars on COVID-19, guidance, and frequently asked questions. - NEJM articles related to COVID-19
A collection of articles and other resources on the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, including clinical reports, management guidelines, and commentary. - Wolters Kluwer Resources and Tools
Updates and resources available - at no charge - for clinicians, nurses and medical researchers, in response to new developments, evidence and guidance. - PCSS Resources
CPNP partner, Providers Clinical Support System, is providing resources designed to assist you in treating substance use disorders and opioid use disorder, Not all resources are directly related to COVID19, but are trainings that you may find useful, such as Stress, Relaxation, and Mindful Breathing: A Primer and Supporting Providers After Overdose Death. Added 3/25/20 - American Medical Association (AMA) resources for health care leadership
The AMA has developed a list of practical strategies for health system leadership to consider as they try to support their care teams during COVID-19. The areas range from child and pet care to food delivery. Several relate to workforce distribution leveraging the skills of the entire team. Added 3/31/20 - National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Resources to Support the Health and Well-Being of Clinicians During COVID-19
NAM has compiled resources to offer more information on how to support the health and well-being of clinicians during public health emergencies. Added 3/31/20
Research
If you believe there is a resource missing that would benefit psychiatric pharmacists or their patients, please email a link and description to info@cpnp.org.