Bill > S357

This bill modernizes and expands the collaborative practice between physicians and pharmacists in North Carolina by redefining and expanding the role of clinical pharmacist practitioners. The bill allows pharmacists to provide broader health care services under a collaborative practice agreement with physicians, including tasks such as modifying drug dosages, ordering tests, and managing drug therapy. It establishes more detailed requirements for these collaborative agreements, including that each clinical pharmacist practitioner must have a site-specific supervising physician who conducts periodic reviews of their work. The bill also introduces new provisions requiring health insurance plans to cover healthcare services provided by pharmacists when those services are within their licensed scope of practice and would have been covered if performed by another healthcare provider. Additionally, the bill mandates that insurers accept credentialing for pharmacists employed by or contracted with healthcare facilities and ensures that requirements for prescription drug and pharmacy services apply equally to insurers, third-party administrators, and pharmacy benefits managers. These changes aim to increase patient access to healthcare services and leverage pharmacists' expertise in medication management, with the new provisions set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

Government Affairs, Health and Social Services

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S357