Gov. Roy Cooper signed the STOP Act into law in June 2017. This Act seeks to address the opioid abuse epidemic in the state and contains measures that may change the way you prescribe controlled substances. Read what is contained in this law and the background on its passage by the General Assembly on the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) 2017 Legislative blog.
Now the various provisions contained in the STOP Act must be enacted and the NCMS has been working with the North Carolina Medical Board (NCMB) to assist in clarifying and implementing this new law. The NCMB recently published an overview of those provisions in the STOP Act that specifically will affect physicians and physician assistants. Read the overview.
Some provisions of the law need clarification as to how they will be implemented. For instance, at its meeting Sept. 20-22, the NCMB anticipates deciding how to define ‘consultation’ as it is used in the STOP Act. That decision will be posted on the NCMB website. The Board has also created a new page on its website dealing with questions on registering for the NC Controlled Substance Reporting System, a requirement under the STOP Act. Access that webpage.
The NCMB also has opioid prescribing training sessions scheduled across the state to fulfill the new CME requirement as part of the 2015-16 state budget. Review the schedule and resources available and sign up for updates. For more general information on the NCMB and safe opioid prescribing, visit its resource page.
