Senate Bill 197 Summary

• Adds new definition of "biological product" and "interchangeable biological product" to North Carolina pharmacy practice law, referencing FDA approval standards under federal law.

• Permits pharmacists to substitute interchangeable biological products for brand-name prescribed drugs under the same conditions as generic drug substitution, including that the substitute must be lower in price.

• Requires pharmacists to communicate to prescribers within a reasonable time the specific name and manufacturer of any biological product dispensed, through electronic medical records, e-prescribing, or other means like fax or phone, unless no FDA-approved alternative exists or it's an unchanged refill.

• Directs the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy to maintain a website link to the current FDA list of interchangeable biological products.

• Extends existing liability protections for pharmacists and prescribers to apply equally to substitutions of interchangeable biological products as they do for generic drugs; effective October 1, 2015.