North Carolina health care providers know that their industry is very heavily regulated and that compliance with these regulations is a must. Whether it is compliance with government mandates such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or choosing a corporate form appropriate for health care providers, there can be a lot of health care law to keep track of. A recent initiative announced last month is typical of the kind of thing providers will want to follow carefully.
On November 26, North Carolina’s governor announced that prescribers now have access to the state’s Controlled Substance Reporting System. Medical practices are now able to request a connection through agencies of the state government. As the state describes it, providers will be able to access the Controlled Substance Reporting System instantly with one click.
The government described how the system eliminates the need for providers to manually log into a computer system, and thus it saves time. The government says the new system also provides access to tools that assess risks as well as providing a prescription history for patients.
The government also described how this initiative fits into the state’s larger goal of combating the opioid epidemic by reducing opioid use and availability and expanding treatment and awareness efforts.
As concern about the opioid epidemic mounts across the state and nationwide, providers can expect more programs like this one – and also more regulations – to become commonplace. The high level of concern about this issue means that providers are well-advised to keep a high level of attention on complying with these regulations.