Governor Roy Cooper (D) has issued Executive Order 236, which was introduced to amend Executive Orders 130, 139, and 193 and extend Executive Order 152 as well as waive regulations to expedite the administration of COVID-19 vaccines. The new order removes licensing requirements for medical personnel for assisting with vaccine administration and directs the State Health Director to continue all programs that have been previously implemented for the purpose of disease prevention, protection, reporting, and detection. This order extends the order to require the State Health Director to issue statewide standing orders needed to facilitate COVID-19 vaccination and testing, as well as administer monoclonal antibody treatment.

This order is effective immediately and will expire on January 5, 2022.

Also in North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper (D) signed SB257, legislation that will impose tighter regulations on pharmacy benefit managers to address spread pricing and requires licensure under the Department of Insurance.

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

The North Carolina General Assembly has passed, and Governor Cooper has signed into law, legislation that authorizes qualified immunizing pharmacists to administer long-acting injectable medications to patients age 18 and older pursuant to prescription.  This new authority becomes effective on October 1, 2021.  Board staff has prepared a guidance document that summarizes the new authority and how pharmacists may exercise it.

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

The Board of Pharmacy issued the following information concerning a change to the federal PREP Act authorizing pharmacists “to order and administer,” and qualified pharmacy technicians and interns “to administer” select COVID-19 therapeutics to patient populations authorized by the FDA including monoclonal antibody combinations.

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

HB96, sponsored by Representative Wayne Sasser (R), was signed by Governor Roy Cooper (D) on August 20, 2021. The measure becomes effective October 1, 2021, and provides for pharmacist vaccine administration, administration of long acting injectables, tobacco cessation, hormonal contraceptives, administration of the COVID vaccine and more.  The North Carolina Board of Pharmacy issued guidance on how the Board is interpreting HB 96. This important guidance can be found here. Thank you to NACDS Members, North Carolina Retail Merchants and the North Carolina Pharmacy Association who worked on this bill.

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

NC Medicaid has received reports of confusion in the field by providers and pharmacies when members do not present an ID card or when presented with a Medicaid member ID card that differs from the data shown in the NCTracks system. To mitigate any confusion associated with newly issued Medicaid Managed Care member ID cards, providers and pharmacies should always use NCTracks Recipient Eligibility Verification/Response to confirm eligibility and not rely solely on the information shown on a Member ID Card. Health plans are required to generate an identification card for each Member enrolled in their health plan that contains the Member’s North Carolina Medicaid or NC Health Choice Identification number. Some health plans also include their health plan member ID as well. However, member ID cards are not required to provide service, and this includes pharmacies as well. Therefore, members should not be turned away due to the lack of a Member ID card in their possession. For more information, please see the Medicaid bulletin Confirming Medicaid Coverage for Beneficiaries.

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

The Board of Pharmacy announces a notice to issue a temporary rule that would adopt regulations under 21 NCAC 46 to establish standards under which a pharmacist can administer long-acting injectable pharmaceuticals formulated to produce sustained release and gradual absorption. The rule also would establish recordkeeping requirements. A hearing is scheduled for August 2 by teleconference. Comments are due August 3.

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

Beginning July 1, North Carolina will transition from a fee-for-service Medicaid program to Managed Care. More information on this transition can be found here. You may also find the June 16, 2021, Managed Care Transformation update for pharmacy stakeholders presentation here. Of note, 90-day fills and mail and delivery fees from local/community pharmacies, which were flexibilities granted during the COVID State of Emergency have been made permanent. Also Slide 18 on the presentation contains important Medicaid billing updates.

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

The Board of Pharmacy issued a proposed rule to amend and adopt regulations under 21 NCAC 46 to establish new requirements for limited-service permits for certain pharmacies where services are provided by pharmacist-managers serving multiple pharmacies. The rule also would allow pharmacist-managers to be present at limited-service permits for less time than at regular pharmacy permits, allow pharmacist-managers to designate an assistant pharmacy-manager for limited-service permits, and provide that pharmacist-managers do not need to personally package drugs dispensed by nurse practitioners or physician assistants, among other conforming changes. A hearing is scheduled for July 20, 2021, via webcast and teleconference. Comments are due July 20, 2021.

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