§ 143B-1473.  Contract for limited use of local purchase of inmate pharmacy needs.

(a) The Health Services Division shall adopt a statewide reimbursement for local purchases of limited quantities of medicine. The statewide reimbursement rate shall be based on the North Carolina State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees reimbursement rate for prescription drugs. Any pharmacy willing to accept the statewide reimbursement rate shall have the right to participate in the plan.

(b) The Health Services Division shall obtain monthly electronic invoices of prescriptions filled by each prison from the vendor chosen under subsection (a) of this section and shall develop a mechanism to collect information on purchases made outside the contract. At a minimum, the following information shall be collected for each prescription: (i) the inmate’s prison, (ii) the requesting provider, (iii) the medication requested, (iv) the quantity of the medication requested, and (v) the total cost of the prescription.

(c) The Department shall establish a formal oversight mechanism to ensure prescriptions written by providers to be filled at local pharmacies do not exceed the quantities specified in the Department’s policy. The Health Services Division central office shall be responsible for implementing the oversight function, shall use the data collected under subsections (a) and (b) of this section to implement the function, and shall implement corrective and disciplinary actions as needed. (2018-143, s. 4(a); recodified from N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143B-707.7 by 2021-180, s. 19C.9(i), (m).)