Frequently Asked Questions
The TPA FAQ is a work in progress, and topics, questions and answers are frequently added. Have a question of your own or a suggestion for this page? Please let us know!
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TPA FAQ (See also Miscellaneous FAQ)
TPA’s office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central, Monday through Friday. However, it isn’t unusual for someone to be in the office before and after those hours. Our main contact information follows. Individual staff members are listed here.
| Website: | Submit the TPA “Contact Us” Form |
| Phone: | 615-256-3023; individual staff members’ extensions are listed here. |
| Email: | tpa@tnpharm.org |
| Fax: | 615-255-3528 |
| Address: | 1732 Lebanon Pike Circle, Nashville, TN 37210 DIRECTIONS TO THE TPA OFFICE |
| ↑ Back to Top Contact TPA |
TPA provides members with critical information about issues that affect pharmacists’ ability to practice safely and efficiently in Tennessee. Our communications include:
- TPA Website – www.tnpharm.org – Members have access to information not available to the general public or to nonmember pharmacists. In addition to general information and news, the website has separate pages covering TennCare, Federal Programs, Legislative Activity, Education and Meetings, Practice-Based Resources, Societies, Districts, TPRN, Students, and much more! You will need a USERNAME AND PASSWORD to access pages that are for TPA members only. If you need help setting up or accessing your members-only login, please contact us!
- Email Broadcasts – TPA disseminates legislative, health care and regulatory notices electronically, to keep members promptly informed in this fast-paced world of TennCare, Medicare, collaborative pharmacy practice, legislative affairs, PBMs, drug manufacturers, compliance deadlines, and other issues that we can’t begin to foresee. The most efficient way to do this is through e-mail, the most-used facet of TPA communications. If you change your e-mail address, be sure to let TPA know!
- 10 for Tenn – TPA’s weekly newsletter highlighting 10 key pharmacy-related news items for members
- Tennessee Pharmacist (“The Journal”) – TPA’s print publication contains feature stories, association news, and other news of the day, and is mailed to all members.
- Tennessee Handbook on Pharmacy and Drug Law – The most comprehensive and usable set of Tennessee and federal laws available, this 1,000+ page publication is provided as an digital download / eBook. Available to members and nonmembers, TPA members are entitled to significantly discounted pricing.
- Legislative Advocacy Center – TPA works to protect and enhance pharmacy practice for the benefit of our members and their patients. Together with members, TPA continues to engage legislators at the grassroots level. TPA’s Legislative Advocacy Center provides information to help pharmacists, student pharmacists, and pharmacy team members advocate effectively for the profession and the patients we serve.
- Tennessee Pharmacists Legislative Action Network (T-PLAN) – T-PLAN automates the process of identifying your legislator(s) and emailing them to ask for their support. Use messages included by TPA, or modify them to suit your situation. Advocating for pharmacy has never been easier!
- Fax Broadcasts – Since 2003, independent community pharmacists in Tennessee have relied on TPA’s Independent Link for time-sensitive information affecting their practices. The Independent Link is delivered by fax and sponsored by Pharmacy Plus.
TPA keeps members informed about regulatory changes that pharmacists must comply with, developments in healthcare that affect patients, and legislative activity that affects members’ ability to practice safe, efficient pharmacy. TPA aggressively lobbies for legislative efforts that will enhance patient safety and pharmacy practice, while working to thwart those that are deleterious. Because of TPA’s strong reputation as the voice of professional pharmacy, association representatives are routinely asked to participate on governmental task forces and agencies that shape policies and procedures at the state and national levels.
- When state or national legislative issues “heat up,” TPA sends legislative advocacy alerts to members by e-mail, to let you know what’s at stake and what you can do to make a difference.
- TPA publications provide information about pending and finalized legislation.
- The Tennessee Pharmacists Legislative Action Network (T-PLAN) automates the process of identifying your legislator(s) and emailing them to ask for their support. Use messages included by TPA, or modify them to suit your situation. Advocating for pharmacy has never been easier!
- At its Winter Meeting in February of each year, TPA familiarizes pharmacists with the issues likely to be introduced in the upcoming legislative session. Information about the Winter meeting will be disseminated to members and posted in the TPA Calendar.
- Follow legislative developments as information is made available to TPA members.
- Visit TPA’s Legislative Advocacy Center to learn how to advocate effectively for pharmacy and the patients we serve.
- Support major advocacy efforts on calls to action regarding current legislative issues. The Tennessee Pharmacists Legislative Action Network (T-PLAN) automates the process of identifying your legislator(s) and emailing them to ask for their support. Use messages included by TPA, or modify them to suit your situation. Advocating for pharmacy has never been easier!
- Sign up as a T-PLAN Key Contact, and TPA may ask you – often on short notice – to call legislators, deliver PharmPAC checks to them, contact your colleagues about pending legislation, write letters to media or individuals, or advocate in other ways.
- Meet socially with legislators at TPA’s Legislative Reception in February of each year, in conjunction with the Winter Meeting. Information about the Winter Meeting will be disseminated to members and posted in the TPA Calendar.
- Contribute to PharmPAC and/or the Pharmacy Practice Preservation Fund (PPPF).
Rarely does a week go by that TPA doesn’t email members important information you might not see anywhere else. If you’re not receiving email from TPA, let us help you!
If none of the following suggestions works for you, or if you’re not sure how to try them, please CONTACT US, and let us help you personally.
- Make sure we have your correct email address. Please send your current email address to tpa@tnpharm.org, call us at 615-256-3023, or update your TPA profile.
- Check your Spam or Junk folder, and if you find our messages there, add the tnpharm.org domain to your “Whitelist” (also called an “Approved Sender” or “Safe Sender” list). Instructions for several email services and platforms can be found at How to Whitelist Emails.
- Add communications@tnpharm.org to your Contact list or Address Book.
- You or someone else may have inadvertently “unsubscribed” you from TPA’s email broadcasts. Please contact communications@tnpharm.org and let us check that for you. If that’s what’s happened, we can quickly get you re-subscribed.
- If you’re using Gmail, see if TPA’s messages are winding up under your Promotions or Social tab. If so, left-click and hold one of the mis-filed TPA messages, drag it over to the Primary tab, and release the mouse button. After it is dropped, click “Yes” when asked if you wish to make the change permanent.
- Your Gmail messages may be automatically moving out of your Inbox into another Gmail folder, after you read them on an iPhone. You can test this by searching Gmail (on your desktop) for “Tennessee Pharmacists Association”.
- If you’re using corporate or university email, an internal firewall may be prohibiting TPA’s messages from being delivered to you. Your server administrator or IT department may be able to help you, and TPA can provide information to assist them. Ask them to contact TPA at communications@tnpharm.org.
Much of the information on the TPA website is restricted to use by TPA members, because membership dues are what make the website possible. Therefore, a username and password are required to access these “locked” pages of the TPA website. If you need help setting up your members-only login, please contact us! For help with logging in or updating your member profile, a brief video and instructions are available HERE.
If you missed your membership renewal date, simply fill out a membership form using the “Join Us” tab at the top of the screen, and we’ll update your profile with your new join date. That way, we can provide you with the full benefits of being a TPA member for 12 months from the date you join or renew. What’s more, TPA now offers automatic monthly payment options when you renew!
Your membership renewal due date is displayed in your online profile, just below your name and membership category. In addition, you should receive an email message containing an invoice link 45 days prior to your membership renewal due date, as well as a reminder email 15 days prior to your renewal due date. You may also contact TPA any time, and we’ll be happy to help you.
Our goal is to make it easy for you to renew your membership online, and we hope you find the process intuitive and user-friendly. If you do need some clarification, check out the step-by-step Guide to Your Online Membership Renewal. If you have specific questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
TPA will gladly provide a paper invoice for you. Feel free to give us a call at 615-256-3023, and we’ll drop a membership form in the mail addressed to you. The membership form is also available on TPA’s website HERE and can be printed and returned to the office by mail or fax.
For TPA members who own the entity they’re hiring for, ads will be posted on the TPA Employment page for FREE, up to 400 words − a savings of up to $400! Your employment ad will be posted for 30 days, after which time it will automatically be removed – unless you ask us to leave it posted for another 30 days. Just let us know!
MISCELLANEOUS FAQ (See also TPA FAQ)
CPE Monitor, through the collaborative efforts of NABP, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and ACPE providers, allows you to electronically keep track of CPE credits from ACPE accredited providers. To view and track these credits, you must first set up an NABP e-Profile, obtain your NABP e-Profile ID, and register for CPE Monitor. Please visit CPE Monitor HERE.
Visit TPA’s online Calendar of Events. You can also visit the Tennessee Pharmacists Consortium for Education’s website for other available opportunities.
Collaborative Pharmacy Practice has been allowed by law since July 1, 2014. Pharmacists in Tennessee can enter into agreements with a prescriber, or group of prescribers, based on the provisions provided in PC 832. On February 20, 2017, the final Tennessee Board of Pharmacy Rules became effective. You can find those rules online at 1140-03-.17. TPA has created a comprehensive Collaborative Pharmacy Practice resource for members who want to take advantage of this new opportunity for pharmacists.
While this is not a common practice for most prescribers and pharmacies in Tennessee, over 90% of pharmacies are capable of accepting electronic prescriptions for controlled substances (EPCS), but only 6% of prescribers have the capability, according to data from Surescripts. The pharmacy and prescriber must be EPCS certified and audit approved. In order to find out if your pharmacy or a prescriber in your area is certified, CLICK HERE. The Tennessee Board of Pharmacy has this information posted on their website as guidance for pharmacists.
TennIIS is a statewide Immunization Information System (IIS) developed by the Department of Health to be a single source of immunization records for Tennessee residents of all ages. It serves as an electronic resource for medical professionals, pharmacists, and school officials that streamlines the process of recording and retrieving immunization records from the Tennessee Department of Health. For more information about this system, and to become a registered user, visit TennIIS.
TPA encourages all pharmacists to register for an individual NPI number upon licensure. As the practice of pharmacy continues to evolve, pharmacists utilize NPI numbers to bill for services provided. To obtain an NPI number:
- Create a login through the Identity & Access Management System (I&A).
- Visit the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES).
- ‘Manage or Apply for your personal NPI Record’ on the lower left of the screen using the login you created on I&A.
- Enter your individual information to create your unique NPI.
- Register under occupation 18-Pharmacy Service Providers.
- Select your classification and area of specialization from the list provided.
While TPA does not provide audit assistance, TPA encourages all members to look at their individual contracts with insurance providers to ensure compliance with all requirements. Recently, the most common issues that have been brought to our attention include:
- A policy and procedures manual on processing of third-party claims
- Selling prescriptions in excess of the contracted “return to stock” date
- Prescriber ‘X’ number on prescriptions for buprenorphine
- Supervising physician’s name not included on electronic prescriptions
- Larger quantity of diabetic supplies dispensed than needed for days’ supply covered or incorrect days’ supply
- Dosage form not specified on prescription (ointment vs. cream)
- Signature of patient or caregiver not taken at point of sale
- Compliance with all general contract requirements
- Up to date licensure of pharmacists, technicians, and pharmacy
- Pharmacist’s initials not included on the back tag of the prescription*
*For a list of all requirements on medical and prescriptions orders, please review the Tennessee Board of Pharmacy Rule 1140-03-.03. While these are the requirements of the Board of Pharmacy, please note that there are some additional requirements in the nursing regulations for advanced practice nurses and nurse practitioners with prescribing authority.
How can I verify that my licensure is up to date?
To verify that your licensure is up to date, please visit https://apps.health.tn.gov/licensure/. Your pharmacy license can be verified by selecting ‘Licensed Health Facilities Listings’ on the left side of the page.
