STOP Act Signed by Governor Cooper

HB 243: Strengthen Opioid Misuse Prevention (STOP) Act passed both the House and Senate and was signed by Governor Cooper yesterday, Thursday, June 29, 2017.

The STOP Act had bi-partisan support and is written to address many issues that influence Opioid use, with several components including prescribing limits and reporting requirements. The original bill required all PAs to personally consult with their supervising physician prior to issuing a prescription for a targeted controlled substance if the prescription will, or is expected to exceed, a period of 30 days. NCAPA was able to work with legislators to limit that requirement to only pain management clinics. We understand that this provides additional administrative burdens on PAs working in these clinics and will work closely with the NCMB as they develop enforcement rules for this part of the law.