North Carolina Clinical Act Moves to Regulations Phase
North Carolina Clinical Act Moves to Regulations Phase
Professions Unite to Draft Rules on Collaborative Practices
Logistics for North Carolina's Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) Act are coming along smoothly as state health care providers prepare for the bill's effective date of July 1. This legislation allows clinical pharmacists to enter into collaborative practice agreements under a physician's protocol.
During a recent joint committee meeting between the North Carolina Medical Board and North Carolina Board of Pharmacy, Dan Garrett, executive director of the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists, was asked to take the lead on draft regulations for the bill, which was signed into law this past July. Garrett was expected to present the suggestions this month, and the Boards will make the final decision.
Proposed Eligibility Requirements
Garret said the suggested regulations were written broadly, "to allow pharmacists and physicians to collaborate wherever they see it benefits patients." To be eligible for consideration, CPP applicants must meet one of the following criteria:
Another proposed rule would require licensed pharmacists to submit an application to the Board of Pharmacy, which will make sure that they meet the qualifications for approval as a CPP. Applications will then be forwarded to the Medical Board for final approval. In each case, the applicant must have a letter from a licensed physician who is willing to work collaboratively with the CPP under the agreed regulations.
Rules of the Trade
Standards for implementing a collaborative agreement were also to be presented by Garrett. These include:
In developing the standards, Garrett said, "We wanted to be positive that this was something that could be done to improve the delivery of health care in the community."
Practitioners are viewing this law as a step in the right direction. Michelle Childs, PharmD, of Drug Therapy Management Inc., in Greensboro, N.C. (see profile in Pharmacy Today, January 2000, page 14), was encouraged by the fact that pharmacists will be identified as members of the health care team by other providers and third party payers.
"I see this as recognition of the capacity of a pharmacist to participate in drug therapy management. It will give pharmacists the ability to see patients outside the physician's office with the hopes of being reimbursed," Childs said.
Professions Unite to Draft Rules on Collaborative Practices
Logistics for North Carolina's Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) Act are coming along smoothly as state health care providers prepare for the bill's effective date of July 1. This legislation allows clinical pharmacists to enter into collaborative practice agreements under a physician's protocol.
During a recent joint committee meeting between the North Carolina Medical Board and North Carolina Board of Pharmacy, Dan Garrett, executive director of the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists, was asked to take the lead on draft regulations for the bill, which was signed into law this past July. Garrett was expected to present the suggestions this month, and the Boards will make the final decision.
Proposed Eligibility Requirements
Garret said the suggested regulations were written broadly, "to allow pharmacists and physicians to collaborate wherever they see it benefits patients." To be eligible for consideration, CPP applicants must meet one of the following criteria:
Certification from the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties or as a Certified Geriatric Practitioner.
A PharmD degree and completion of an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists-accredited residency (this includes APhA-ASHP accredited community pharmacy residencies).
A PharmD degree plus one North Carolina Center for Pharmaceutical Care (NCCPC)-approved certificate program.
A PharmD degree, 1 year of experience, and letters of recommendation from two physicians who are familiar with the applicant's clinical experience.
A BS degree in pharmacy plus two NCCPC-approved certificate programs.
A BS degree in pharmacy, 3 years of experience, and letters of recommendation from two physicians who are familiar with the applicant's clinical experience.
Another proposed rule would require licensed pharmacists to submit an application to the Board of Pharmacy, which will make sure that they meet the qualifications for approval as a CPP. Applications will then be forwarded to the Medical Board for final approval. In each case, the applicant must have a letter from a licensed physician who is willing to work collaboratively with the CPP under the agreed regulations.
Rules of the Trade
Standards for implementing a collaborative agreement were also to be presented by Garrett. These include:
The physician and CPP will have to agree to and sign copies of the predetermined agreement and keep it on file in their practice sites.
There must be a monitoring and review process in place in which the physician and CPP review and document patient outcomes from the agreement.
There must be communication between the physician and CPP regarding each patient to verify that the relationship among the three is established and patient care information is exchanged regularly.
Patient care decisions or changes not specified in the agreement must be made by the physician.
In developing the standards, Garrett said, "We wanted to be positive that this was something that could be done to improve the delivery of health care in the community."
Practitioners are viewing this law as a step in the right direction. Michelle Childs, PharmD, of Drug Therapy Management Inc., in Greensboro, N.C. (see profile in Pharmacy Today, January 2000, page 14), was encouraged by the fact that pharmacists will be identified as members of the health care team by other providers and third party payers.
"I see this as recognition of the capacity of a pharmacist to participate in drug therapy management. It will give pharmacists the ability to see patients outside the physician's office with the hopes of being reimbursed," Childs said.
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