NC S749

Requires state health officials and licensing boards to develop statewide opioid prescribing guidelines by December 31, 2014, to be adopted by July 1, 2015, based on Institute of Medicine criteria and considering dosage thresholds for physician consultation.

Mandates continuing education on controlled substance abuse for health care providers who prescribe controlled substances, with at least one hour addressing prescribing practices and chronic pain management, as a condition of license renewal.

Expands access to the Controlled Substances Reporting System (CSRS) to include the federal Drug Enforcement Administration's Office of Diversion Control and the North Carolina Health Information Exchange for clinical care purposes.

Modifies the CSRS contract to improve performance by establishing interstate connectivity through PMP InterConnect ($40,035 initial setup plus $30,000 annually), connecting to NC HIE, implementing enhanced security protocols, and enabling advanced analytics capabilities.

Creates the Prescription Drug Abuse Advisory Committee to develop and implement a statewide strategic plan with three to five measurable goals focused on oversight of prescribers, CSRS operations, Medicaid lock-in programs, and law enforcement, with annual performance reporting beginning December 1, 2015.