(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) The power to make rules regulating the practice of pharmacy includes the power to prohibit unlicensed persons from practicing pharmacy and the power to regulate how licensed persons practice pharmacy.
(2) A primary goal of the provision of health care is to prioritize patient safety and wellness.
(3) The board is in the best position to determine the practice of pharmacy that prioritizes patient safety and wellness.
(4) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section to immunize the Board of Pharmacy and its members from liability under state and federal anti-trust laws for the adoption of a rule that prioritizes patient safety and wellness but may be anti-competitive when the effect on public safety and wellness is clearly demonstrated and documented by the Board of Pharmacy.
(b) Subject to subsection (c), rules adopted by the board may define and regulate the practice of pharmacy in a way that prioritizes patient safety and wellness, even if the rule is anti-competitive when the effect on public safety and wellness is clearly demonstrated and documented by the Board of Pharmacy.
(c) A rule adopted by the board may supplement or clarify any statutory definition but may not conflict with any statute that defines the practice of pharmacy.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to constrict or expand the current rights and privileges of any individual governed by the Board of Pharmacy beyond that which existed prior to the ruling in the United States Supreme Court decision N.C. State Bd. of Dental Examiners v. FTC, 135 S. Ct. 1101(2015).
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to constrict or expand the current duties or responsibilities of the members of the Board of Pharmacy in any context outside of federal or state anti-trust immunity beyond that which existed prior to the ruling in the United States Supreme Court decision N.C. State Bd. of Dental Examiners v. FTC, 135 S. Ct. 1101(2015).
Last modified: May 3, 2021