RULEMAKINGS IN PROGRESS
Notice of Public Hearing and Comment Period on the Following Proposed Actions:
Time and Date of Hearing to Consider Proposed Actions: 9:00AM, May 19, 2026
Proposed Effective Date: August 1, 2026
Reasons for Proposed Actions:
Amendment to .1806, Transfer of Prescriptions: The Board has proposed revisions of the requirements for transferring prescriptions from one pharmacy to another. The rule was last revised when paper prescriptions predominated, and the requirements were written in that framework. The Board has proposed to update those requirements. The proposed amendment further streamlines the requirements, removing ones that are no longer necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare. (Proposed rule language is found here.)
Adoption of .1822; Amendments to .1616, .1821, and .2516, Alternate Delivery Sites: The Board has proposed adoption of a rule (21 NCAC 46 .1822) that would permit a pharmacy to deliver prescriptions that have been fully filled and labeled for specific patients by having certain pharmacy personnel deliver them at a fixed alternate delivery site.
This rule change was originally proposed by pharmacist as a method of facilitating service to remote locations that cannot support a pharmacy. This method has recently been used successfully in Virginia with no adverse impact to the public health, safety and welfare. The requirements of the proposed rule largely track the requirements for direct-to-patient locker and kiosk systems (21 NCAC 46 .1821), which the Board adopted in 2023. There are proposed conforming changes to (a) the limited service permit rule (21 NCAC 46 .1616) to provide for permitting and inspection of the alternate delivery site; (b) the direct-to-patient delivery system rule (21 NCAC 46 .1821) to acknowledge the new rule; and (c) the pharmacy emergency closure rule (21 NCAC 46 .2516) to provide for delivery of filled prescriptions to a pharmacy’s nearby alternate delivery site if the pharmacy is subject to emergency closure, so that patients can have the choice to retrieve drugs during that closure. (Proposed rule language is found here.)
Adoption of .1420, Standardized Orders: The Board has proposed adopting a rule to accommodate standardized orders in health care pharmacy settings (such as hospitals and long-term care facilities). Standardized orders are ones that allow a health care facility pharmacist-manager to establish criteria for ordering medications that are determined to be safe for all patients meeting those criteria, regardless of any drugs, supplements or other substances that might have been consumer by those patients. Because of the absence of any relevant distinction among those patients, the medications would be able to be dispensed without patient-specific drug regimen review being performed. This rule
was the product of study by a working group that included members from a wide variety of health care pharmacy settings. (Proposed rule language is found here.)
A public hearing will be held on May 19, 2026 at 9:00AM at the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy, 6015 Farrington Road, Suite 201, Chapel Hill, NC 27517.
Any person may object to the proposed rule changes by attending the public hearing on May 19, 2026 and/or by submitting a written objection by June 15, 2026 to Jay Campbell, Executive Director, North Carolina Board of Pharmacy, 6015 Farrington Road, Suite 201, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, fax (919) 246-1056, e-mail ncboprulemaking@ncbop.org.
Procedure for Subjecting a Proposed Rule to Legislative Review:
If an objection is not resolved prior to the adoption of the rule, a person may also submit written objections to the Rules Review Commission. If the Rules Review Commission receives written and signed objections in accordance with G.S. 150B-21.3(b2) from 10 or more persons clearly requesting review by the legislature and the Rules Review Commission approves the rule, the rule will become effective as provided in G.S. 150B-21.3(b1). The Commission will receive written objections until 5:00 p.m. on the day following the day the Commission approves the rule. The Commission will receive those objections by mail, delivery service, hand delivery, or email. If you have any further questions concerning the submission of objections to the Commission, please call a Commission staff attorney at 984-236-1850.