Visitthe Alliance Health Tailored Plan Pharmacy Benefits webpage to understand medication coverage, days supplies, pharmacy network, copays, emergency supplies and reimbursement.
NC Medicaid Updates
Visit this blog site to see the latest pharmacy-related communications from NC Medicaid.
Clozapine Resources
North Carolina Clozapine Network which includes:
- Provider consultation service available by reaching out to [email protected]
- Clozapine Toolkit listing a sample titration schedule, a rapid initiation schedule for suicidality, violence or other substantial risk and the NCCN Clozapine Initiation and Maintenance Monitoring Guidelines
Clozapine Toolkit on the Alliance Health website from the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists which contains important clozapine-related drug information such as:
- Considerations when starting clozapine
- Baseline screening parameters
- Ongoing monitoring
- Drug interactions
- Potential adverse reactions with prevention and management strategies o An introduction to clozapine-augmentation strategies
ANC Point of Care Testing (fingerstick) is available to patients in a Durham community pharmacy. Email [email protected] for more information.
Initiatives
Resources
The Pharmacy Access to Resources and Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (PhARM-OUD) Guideline is a Joint Consensus Practice Guideline from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and the National Community Pharmacists Association. These guidelines are a comprehensive set of recommendations designed to enhance the access to buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). The guidelines have been endorsed by various professional societies and advocacy organizations, including the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the American Pharmacists Association, and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. They provide pharmacists with essential tools to improve patient care and ensure the availability of buprenorphine in community pharmacies.
The guidelines aim to educate pharmacists about the importance of providing access to buprenorphine and help them navigate the complex regulatory and clinical barriers to access. The guidance supports pharmacists’ dispensing decisions that optimize the quality of care for individuals prescribed buprenorphine. This guidance supports telehealth, monoproduct access and stigma reduction.
NC Pharmacy Finder
Powered by the NC Association of Pharmacists, this tool allows patients to find providers that offer a wide range of enhanced pharmacy services including those specifically authorized in NC such as the Contraception and Nicotine Replacement Therapy Protocols. Several behavioral health-specific services can be searched, including pharmacy-administered long-acting injectable medications such as antipsychotics, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, adherence packaging, and free medication delivery.
CPESN Pharmacy Locator Tool
The Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) allows users to search for NC CPESN pharmacies either by location or by the type of enhanced service(s) needed plus location. The tool is intended for use by care managers, providers, hospital discharge planners, and others to locate a CPESN pharmacy in their community to support patients with complex care needs. The CPESN, an open network of over 200 North Carolina pharmacies committed to broadening the availability of medication management resources to our state’s highest-needs population.
Lock Your Meds NC
Information on how to safely secure and dispose of prescription drugs to keep them out of the wrong hands. The website also helps people identify warning signs of potential drug abuse and lists available resources to get help.
Lock or Dispose – Alliance Opioid Campaign
Naloxone
LAI Antipsychotic Injection Administration Resources
To find pharmacies administering LAIs, visit the NC Pharmacy Finder and begin by clicking “Browse Pharmacies” in the lower right corner. You can then use the filters to the left to tailor your results by location and/or service.
Perinatal Substance Use Project
Call the Perinatal Substance Use Project at the Alcohol/Drug Council of North Carolina provides screening, information and appropriate referrals for women throughout North Carolina who are pregnant or parenting and using substances. Call them at 800-688-4232.
Medication Patient Assistance Programs
Local County Assistance Programs
- Cumberland County (CCMAP) Formulary
- Harnett County (CCMAP) Formulary
- Durham County Indigent Pharmacy Program Formulary and MAP Formulary
- Wake County Pharmacy Medication and Lab Formulary
- Mecklenburg County has NC MedAssist which has a free pharmacy program (see formulary) and OTC store.
Note: NC Med Assist serves the entire state of North Carolina as a mail-order pharmacy for prescription medication and has mobile free pharmacy events distributing free over-the-counter medicine in different counties throughout the year
Clozapine Access for Uninsured
Alliance Health Substance Use Disorder Medication Access for the Uninsured
- Buprenorphine (Sublingual) Access for the Uninsured – eligibility and pharmacy locations
- SUD Pharmacotherapy for the Uninsured eligibility, program information, and pharmacy locations – uninsured individuals residing in Alliance catchment counties can receive free medications for substance use disorder, including for alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder
Medication Assistance Program (MAP)
Non-profit organization, listed by county, that provides access to free prescription drugs for uninsured, low-income individuals. Prescription drugs are available through participating pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Patient Advocacy Foundation (PAF) Co-Pay Relief Program (CPF)
Provides direct financial assistance to qualified individuals, assisting them with prescription drug co-payments, coinsurances and deductibles. Individual must have insurance and coverage for the medication for which they are seeking financial assistance and their income must fall below the income guidelines, either 300% or 400% or less of the FPL. CPR call counselors work directly with the individual as well as with the provider of care to obtain necessary medical, insurance and income information to advance the application in an expeditious manner. Upon approval, payments are made to the doctor, pharmacy, and individual directly.
Pharmacy, Non-Profit
- NC Med Assist
- Non-profit pharmacy program for North Carolina residents that provides FREE access to lifesaving prescription medications, patient support, advocacy, and related services to poor, vulnerable, and uninsured North Carolina residents. The pharmacy mails the prescriptions to North Carolina residents who live outside of Mecklenburg County.
- NC Med Assist also has Mobile Free Pharmacy Events to provide adults and children who are low-income and in need with free over-the-counter medicine such as aspirin, children’s cough syrup, allergy medicine and vitamins are just a few items given to families who need assistance. Most events now have pre-ordering available online.
- Rx Outreach
Non-profit mail order pharmacy in St Louis that ships directly to individuals’ homes. It is available to qualifying individuals and families. Patients can be on Medicaid, Medicare or other health insurance and still receive medications from Rx Outreach. There are no enrollment or membership fees.
Pharmacy Discount Programs
Blink Health
For-profit company that offers a free app that finds the cheapest price for a drug and locks it in for individuals who can then pay on-line and fill their prescriptions at one of 60,000 pharmacies in the United States.
Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs
Cost Plus Drug Company contracts with a third-party supplier to get unfinished prescription drugs. The service carries out the final stage of processing and labeling and takes a 15% profit margin to reduce the costs of prescription medication — essentially cutting out pharmacy middlemen.
FamilyWize
A huge consumer group buying service for the uninsured and underinsured. The discounts and savings on medications are provided voluntarily by the more than 61,000 participating pharmacies that have agreed to provide prices similar to what they give large insurance companies and employers.
Good Rx
For-profit company that collects and compares prices and then offers consumers a coupon to get the best rate. The company has information on every FDA approved medication at more than 70,000 US pharmacies (mostly chains). Once the individual finds the best price at a local pharmacy, they can either print a coupon or show it on their smart phone.
NCMS Discount Prescription Drug Card
Touts savings of up to 75% (discounts average roughly 30%) at more than 68,000 national and regional pharmacies. This card can be used as your primary plan and/or it can be used on prescriptions not covered by your insurance plan.
NeedyMeds
Non-profit clearinghouse that provides information on all medical needs, including medications. It collects data on patient assistance programs, drug coupons and rebates, and offers its own drug discount card.
