North Carolina News: Item 2157 - Dispensing of Prescription Drug Samples by Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners

January 1, 2008 12:57 PM Topics: Prescribing authority

Reprinted from the January 2008 North Carolina Board of Pharmacy Newsletter.

The Board has received numerous inquiries from physician assistants (PA) and nurse practitioners (NP) about Board of Pharmacy Rule .1703, 21 NCAC 46.1703. PAs and NPs have asked whether that rule’s registration, permitting, and oversight requirements apply when the PA or NP is simply handing out prescription drug samples to patients. The Board does not interpret Rule .1703 requirements to apply to a PA or NP who is engaged in traditional sampling – ie, handing out, free of any charge (whether direct or indirect), starter doses or packets of prescription drug samples received from a prescription drug manufacturer in compliance with the Prescription Drug Marketing Act.