CMS has issued a Medicare Claims Processing Manual update regarding discarded drugs and biologicals, including language regarding use of the JW modifier (“Drug or Biological Amount Discarded/Not Administered to Any Patient”). The manual update is effective July 30, 2010. In addition, CMS has updated its manual language relating to Determining Self Administration of Drug or Biological. Due to recent drugs approved for marketing by the FDA, CMS is allowing other routes of administration besides injections (e.g., oral drugs, suppositories, topical medications) to be considered not-usually self administered, effective July 30, 2010.