Governor Cooper signed new Executive Order 138. The Executive Order does not lift the stay-at-home order but replaces previous executive orders to begin Phase 1 on Friday, May 8 at 5pm. The order is set to expire on Friday, May 22 at 5pm at which point the Governor will examine whether North Carolina will enter Phase 2. 

Also in North Carolina... The General Assembly convened their scheduled short session last Tuesday, April 28 and quickly approved a pandemic relief package of nearly $1.6 billion that Governor Cooper signed into law on Monday, May 4th. The legislation is effective immediately and included, among other items, language that authorizes pharmacists to administer a COVID-19 vaccine or immunization once one is developed and recommended by the CDC. Two liability protection provisions, one covers health care workers, protecting them from civil and criminal liability as they provide COVID-19 treatment and the second protects any essential business whose employees or customers contract COVID-19.  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Governor Cooper has announced the extension of the current stay-at-home Executive Order 121 until May 8,2020 at 5pm and a 3-phase plan for reopening. Executive Order 121 that enacted stay-at-home requirements has been in place since March 30th and was originally scheduled to expire next Thursday, April 30th. This order does not alter any provisions of the previous executive order other than technical changes. 

Also in North Carolina... Effective April 27, 2020, prescriptions for NC Medicaid and NC Health Choice beneficiaries are eligible for the addition of a mailing or delivery fee via the guidelines below. NC Medicaid encourages beneficiaries to request, and pharmacy providers to mail or deliver prescriptions to beneficiaries, during the COVID-19 pandemic to achieve better social distancing within their community. This measure should be considered for all beneficiaries, but especially those that are considered at higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness. For more information please click here. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services and the State Health Director requested that the Medical Board and the Board of Pharmacy adopt the COVID-19 Drug Preservation Rule in order to alleviate shortages and ensure that these drugs are available to patients who need them.  The Pharmacy Board’s emergency rule is found here.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

HB 388, sponsored by Rep. Donna McDowell White (R), was signed by Gov. Roy Cooper (D). Effective Tuesday, October 1, this measure stipulates that an immunizing pharmacist may administer serogroup B meningococcal, human papillomavirus and hepatitis A vaccines to persons at least 18 years of age. It also lowers the age for influenza vaccinations to 10 years.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.