January 11, 2024
Leaders from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy joined the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) and state health leaders to mark NC Medicaid enrolling pharmacists as Medicaid providers and paying for contraceptive counseling services provided in North Carolina pharmacies.
Mollie Scott, Pharm.D. ‘93, Regional Associate Dean for the School, has focused on implementing pharmacist-provided contraception across the state through a grant from The Duke Endowment. Her work underscores the School’s commitment to advocating for better access to health care for the people of North Carolina.
“This is an exciting day for the women of North Carolina and for reproductive health,” Scott said.
Unintended pregnancies are a significant public health concern that increase health care costs, medical complications, mental health concerns and negatively impact women and families.
The North Carolina General Assembly passed House Bill 96, a law that went into effect in 2022, authorizing pharmacists to dispense contraception without a prescription from a provider under a standing order. However, pharmacies identified a lack of reimbursement for the required evaluation, risk assessment and counseling services as barriers. The actions taken by NC Medicaid will lessen those barriers.
“Our goal is that all families have the opportunity to thrive,” said Dr. Elizabeth Cuervo Tilson, State Health Director and Chief Medical Officer for NCDHHS. “More than half of all pregnancies in North Carolina are unintended, which can unfortunately lead to poor maternal and infant outcomes. By expanding access to contraception and counseling services, we can improve the health of moms, babies and families throughout North Carolina.”
At least 1,309 pharmacists in 91 counties across North Carolina have trained to prescribe hormonal contraception. The goal is to reach all 100 of North Carolina’s counties.
The event was hosted at Central Pharmacy in Durham, North Carolina, in partnership with owner and pharmacist Jennifer Burch, Pharm.D. She shared the struggles that independent pharmacies face with reimbursement and thinks this is a step in the right direction.
Burch said, “I hope other insurers will follow NC Medicaid’s lead and recognize that pharmacists are underutilized in the community and work with pharmacy leaders in the state and at the NC Pharmacist Association to develop more programs that will improve the health of North Carolinians and help the survival of independent pharmacies.”
North Carolina Senator Mike Woodard (D-Durham), who serves as a member of the Senate Health Care Committee and played a pivotal role in passing House Bill 96, NC Medicaid Director of Pharmacy and Ancillary Services Angela Smith, Pharm.D., and NCDHHS Pharmacist Charlene Sampson, Pharm.D. were also in attendance.
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