NC Drug Card Can Help Your Patients When Faced With Insurance Challenges

What happens when your patient goes to fill the prescription you wrote and is faced with a required prior authorization from the insurance provider or the patient discovers it is a non-formulary drug, or there is a quantity limit or step therapy is required?  Do you change the drug to something on the insurance formulary?  If so, the prescription must be rewritten or resubmitted electronically to…

Don’t Forget – NC Drug Card Is a Valuable NCMS Benefit for Your Patients

The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) in partnership with the North Carolina Drug Card reminds physicians that patients who aren’t insured or who take prescription drugs that aren’t covered by their health insurance plans, can use the free North Carolina Drug Card to obtain discounts of up to 75 percent off the retail price for FDA-approved medications. North Carolina Drug Card has been…

There Is an App for That Drug Card

As if the North Carolina Drug Card is not easy enough to use, now there is a smartphone app that will give patients another way to access this valuable benefit. The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) in partnership with the North Carolina Drug Card encourages physicians to give out the free card – or recommend the app – that allows patients who aren’t insured or who take prescription drugs…

North Carolina Drug Card Helps with Rising Costs of Generic Drug Prices

According to a recent article in The Chicago Tribune, the price of generic medication is getting less affordable each year. The latest numbers from Catamaran, which provides pharmacy benefit management services, show consumers and insurers paid an average of $13.14 per prescription for the 50 most popular generics in 2010.  In 2014, they paid $62.10, a 373 percent increase. Physicians can help by…

FDA Approves Drug Used for Gout to Treat Heart Disease

  A drug historically used as an anti-inflammatory and gout treatment has now been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce inflammation in the cardiovascular system that leads to heart attacks and strokes. Colchicine (Lodoco) is approved for use by adults with atherosclerosis, a thickening and hardening of the arteries caused by plaque buildup inside blood vessels,…

2023 Child Health Report Card: NC Failing in Areas of Youth Mental Health

  The NC Child and the NC Institute of Medicine recently released the 2023 Child Health Report Card. The report shows North Carolina earned failing grades in several key areas: mental health, school health, housing and economic security, and birth outcomes, but made progress in preconception health and maternal health support, and substance use. Below is a snapshot of the grades in…

HB 683 – Prescription Drug Disposal/John’s Law

HB 683 – Prescription Drug Disposal/John’s Law Primary House Sponsors: Rep. Wayne Sasser (R-Cabarrus, Rowan, Stanly)     Summary This bill requires pharmacies to do all of the following when dispensing a controlled substance to a patient: Provide the patient with written informational materials including (1) an explanation of how to discard unused, unwanted, or expired drugs and…

CDC Advisory Issued on Devices Used During Cardiac Bypass Procedures

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory regarding non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections following exposure to contaminated heater-cooler devices used to warm and cool a patient’s blood during cardiac bypass procedures. Hospitals or providers caring for patients with confirmed or suspected NTM infections following heart bypass procedures are asked to…

NCMS Marketplace

Welcome to the Marketplace Access the North Carolina Medical Society’s exclusive partner vendor directory, employee benefit plan, and prescription discount program. Partner Vendor Directory The NCMS has partnered with a diverse group of companies to provide you competitively priced products and services. Learn More Employee Benefit Plan Meet all of the insurance needs…

COVID-19

Screening, Testing, Laboratory Guidance Latest COVID-19 updates from the NC Department of Health and Human Services (8/2/2021) With COVID-19 cases again on the rise due to the more contagious Delta variant of the virus, here is the latest guidance from the state and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You can keep up with all state COVID-19 updates at this…

NCMS Morning Rounds 7-8-20

It's Wednesday and time for your NCMS Morning Rounds.   July 8, 2020 Help in Assessing Risk During the Pandemic Thanks to our colleagues at the Texas Medical Association (TMA) who developed this helpful chart to aide you and your patients in assessing their risk as they go about daily activities during the pandemic. For those who may be contemplating travel or visiting a bar or restaurant, the…

NCMS Morning Rounds 7-17-19

Happy hump day! Enjoy Wednesday's  NCMS Morning Rounds. July 17, 2019 NCMS’ Project OBOT Pharmacy Card Helps Sustain Treatment To remove yet another barrier to successful treatment of opioid use disorder, the NCMS Foundation’s Project OBOT has partnered with the Mutual Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) and MAKO Medical Laboratories to provide deep discounts on the…

Help Your Patients Save On Prescriptions This Flu Season

The North Carolina Drug Card, a benefit provided through the North Medical Society (NCMS) is free and offers significant discounts on prescription medication. Cards are available to distribute to your patients or they can be accessed online. Learn more.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The North Carolina Drug Card offers discounted prices on many of the drugs used to treat breast cancer. Help your patients access this free benefit by alerting them to this prescription discount program. Download the flyer with more information for your patients here.

New Research: Genes Known to Increase Risk of Alzheimer’s May be Inherited

A gene long understood to increase the risk of Alzheimer's should be considered an inherited form of the disease, researchers say. (CNN) -- Alzheimer’s disease may be inherited more often than previously known, according to a new study that paints a clearer picture of a gene long known to be linked to the common form of dementia. Authors of the study, published Monday in the journal Nature…

Want to Slow Down Aging? There May Be A Cheap Way To Do It.

A drug taken by millions of people to control diabetes may do more than lower blood sugar   (NPR, Allison Aubrey) -- Research suggests metformin has anti-inflammatory effects that could help protect against common age-related diseases including heart disease, cancer, and cognitive decline. Scientists who study the biology of aging have designed a clinical study, known as The TAME…

Duke Researchers Lead International Study on Jardiance and Heart Failure

Therapy Shows Promise in Delaying Hospitalizations for Heart Failure Diabetes drug did not prevent all cardiovascular outcomes, but it did affect hospitalizations (DukeHealth News & Media) -- About 800,000 people in the U.S. suffer a heart attack every year, and about 30% of them will go on to develop heart failure. There are limited treatments to prevent or slow that development. A…

Primary Care in Crisis! New Report From The Physicians Foundation

Scorecard Highlights State-Level Primary Care Performance & Lack of Physician Training in Underserved Communities   The second national Primary Care Scorecard released today reveals an intensifying primary care crisis and identifies five reasons why access to affordable, quality primary care services is expected to get worse. Developed by researchers at the American Academy of…

Keto Flu, VO2 Max, Bed Rotting. Some New Words Are Being Added to the Dictionary!

There's A Word For That! Girl dinner, skiplagging, range anxiety, sound bath, shacket!  These are just a few of the new words introduced this year and many of them are from the medical field. by Nick Norlen, Senior Editor, and Grant Barrett, Director of Lexicography It’s 2024, and the pace of language change is as rapid as it has ever been. Our lexicographers are updating the…

For First Time, Gene-Editing Provides Hints For Lowering Cholesterol

Preliminary results from a study show that gene-editing technology can be used to successfully treat a genetic disorder that increases the risk of heart disease. (Morning Edition - Rob Stein) --  For the first time, researchers have produced evidence that gene-editing can cut high cholesterol, a major risk factor for the nation's leading killer. Preliminary results from a study involving…

FDA: Children May Be Receiving Wrong Dose of New COVID-19 Vaccine

The FDA has issued an alert to health providers who provide Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccine to children under the age of 11.     The Food and Drug Administration said there may be confusion over the dosage of the vaccine, which is available to children as young as 6 months of age. According to the FDA, a single dose of Moderna's current vaccine for children 6 months to…

FDA Warning: Stop Using These Over-the-counter Eye Drop Products

FDA warns consumers not to purchase or use certain eye drops from several major brands due to risk of eye infection      FDA is updating the list of over-the-counter eye drop products consumers should not purchase or use to include Equate Hydration PF Lubricant Eye Drop 10 mL sold by Walmart in stores and online. Walmart is removing the product from their store shelves and…

Wegovy Getting More Popular, Could Reduce Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

Novo Nordisk Says Wegovy May Cut Risk of Cardiovascular deaths by 20 % Novo Nordisk, maker of the wildly popular Wegovey, says the weight loss injection can cut risks of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths by 20 percent. This study is the first to show that obesity drugs can bring heart health to those who do not have diabetes. It may also add another spike of popularity to a…

Duke Health Researchers Make Advancements in Eye Health

  DURHAM, N.C. – A machine learning model developed by Duke Health researchers can differentiate normal cognition from mild cognitive impairment using retinal images from the eye. The model analyzes retinal images and associated data and recognizes specific features to identify individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Publishing in the journal Ophthalmology Science, the model…

FDA approves Rinvoq for treatment of Crohn’s disease

Patients with Crohn's disease have a new treatment option, following U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a pill called Rinvoq (upadacitinib).  The medication was previously approved for several other conditions, including eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Rinvoq is meant to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease who…

NC DPH: Xylazine (known on the street as Tranq) Abuse Growing. New Exposure Guidance Issued.

    Xylazine abuse in the United States is a growing public health problem. The FDA-approved drug, which is legally administered by veterinarians as a sedative, muscle relaxant, or non-opioid analgesic for large animals. Known on the street as “tranq,” xylazine is increasingly mixed with opioids and can increase the risk of overdose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…

Anesthesia death has widow, doctors in Cape Fear region at odds

Shital Patel is calling for change from Dental Board following death of husband, Dr. Henry Patel WILMINGTON, NC -- For more than two years, Shital Patel has been fighting for change.  On August 3, 2020, her husband, Dr. Henry Patel, died after dental surgery.  Dr. Patel's oxygen levels dropped during the surgery and attempts to intubate him failed. Since then Mrs. Patel has been calling…

NCMS Morning Rounds 8-11-21

Happy Wednesday! Enjoy your NCMS Morning Rounds. August 11, 2021 NC Commission for the Blind Call for Nominees The NCMS has an opportunity to appoint a new member to the NC Commission for the Blind. This appointment will fill an unexpired term of 7/1/19 – 6/30/22. Learn more about responsibilities of the NC Commission for the Blind here. The commission serves in an advisory capacity on issues…

NCMS Morning Rounds 6-14-21

  Happy Monday! Enjoy your NCMS Morning Rounds. June 14, 2021 NCMS Legislative Update The Legislature was back this week for another busy week. The House and Senate have stated they have reached a budget number agreement. We’re likely to see a Senate budget either this week or next. There were several committee meetings last week. We want to point out a few bills. The first is HB96 --…

NCMS Morning Rounds 3-29-21

Welcome to a new week of NCMS Morning Rounds. March 29, 2021 Tomorrow is the big day – Doctors’ Day! Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 30, is the annual observance of Doctors’ Day, a time to honor you and the amazing work you do. This year Doctors’ Day has special significance. Physicians – and PAs – have been front and center working tirelessly to continue to care for people during a global pandemic.…

NCMS Morning Rounds 2-22-21

Welcome to a new week of NCMS Morning Rounds. Feb. 22, 2021 NCMS Legislative Update Last week, a steady flow of legislative proposals continued to be filed. Remember, you can see summaries of all the bills we're monitoring that could impact your practice and/or your patients on our regularly updated NCMS legislative blog. One bill of particular note, HB93 – Require Naloxone Scripts with Opiod…

NCMS Morning Rounds 12-22-20

 Enjoy Tuesday's NCMS Morning Rounds. Dec. 22, 2020 Sticking With the COVID-19 Vaccine Plan The NCMS has been in contact with the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) on behalf of members who contacted us regarding access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Some of these members have been notified they are eligible to be vaccinated in the first round of COVID-19 immunizations but are having…

KIPL Power Hour: Lifestyle Medicine

The gap between what the US spends on healthcare compared towards other western countries continues to grow, spending close to 20% of GDP today. However, although being first in cost, which includes spending the most on prescription drugs per capita, the US is unfortunately far away from being first in healthcare outcomes. With an increasing attention to looking at healthcare from a whole…

NCMS Morning Rounds 10-5-20

Welcome to a new week of NCMS Morning Rounds. Oct. 5, 2020 Don’t Forget! Cast Your Vote for NCMS Leadership NCMS online ballots were sent Oct. 1 to all NCMS members for whom we have a current email address. Those who do not have a valid email on file with us were mailed a postcard with instructions on how to cast their vote for the slate of candidates for NCMS leadership positions. Be sure to…

NCMS Morning Rounds 9-28-20

Welcome to a new week and your NCMS Morning Rounds. Sept. 28, 2020 NCMS Legislative Update Last Thursday, President Trump announced an Executive Order focused on health care during a visit to North Carolina. Included in the order were provisions on prescription drugs, price transparency and surprise billing. NCMS staff currently is analyzing the content of the order to assess its impact and also…

NCMS Morning Rounds 5-11-20

Welcome to a new week and your NCMS Morning Rounds.   May 11, 2020 REMINDER: Please answer these few questions about the LEAD Health Care Conference in October. Beyond helping to ensure the conference is helpful to you, you’ll have a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card. Answer these crucial questions now by clicking HERE. NCMS Legislative Update Last Monday, Governor Roy Cooper signed into law…

NCMS Morning Rounds 11-4-19

Happy Monday! Enjoy your NCMS Morning Rounds! Nov. 4, 2019 NCMS Legislative Update The North Carolina General Assembly adjourned Thursday night, but will be returning in just a few weeks on Nov. 13 for a special session to deal with redistricting. All pending health care legislation, including proposals to increase access to care, will likely be put off until January when legislators are…

Executions

RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Medical Society supports the following position of the American Medical Association regarding physician involvement in capital punishment and the individual. A physician, as a member of a profession dedicated to preserving life when there is hope of doing so, should not be a participant in a state execution. "Physician extension of this position to those who may…

NCMS Morning Rounds 7-22-19

Happy Monday! Here is your  NCMS Morning Rounds. July 22, 2019 DATA DIVE: Drug Overdose Deaths Decline Nationally Preliminary statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that total drug overdose deaths nationally declined by about 5 percent last year, the first drop since 1990. The decline is attributed to a dip in deaths from prescription opioid painkillers, the…

In the News

Fact Checker: Trump's Claim Veterans Received 42 percent More Approvals To Get Non-VA Health Care, The Washington Post, 5-17-17 Price's Remarks On Opioid Treatment Were Unscientific and Damaging, Experts Say, NPR, 5-16-17 CMS Gives 800,000 Docs a Pass on MACRA Requirement, Modern Healthcare, 5-11-17 Four Things Americans Should Know About Dr. Scott Gottlieb, The Los Angeles Times, 5-10-17 ACA…

In the News

'Surgeon Scorecard' Measures Docs By Complications, USA Today, 7-14-15 Leaked Document: Nearly One Third of 847,000 Veterans in Backlog for VA Health Care Already Died, The Huffington Post, 7-13-15 Should Doctors and Drug Makers Keep Their Distance?, NPR, 7-12-15 Headed For Risk: Health Systems Sign Private Sector ACO Deals That May Lead to Capitation, ModernHealthCare, 7-11-15 How CVS Quit…

In the News

"Death Panels" May Never Die, The Washington Post, 6-23-15 Your Pocket Guide To Obamacare Replacement Plans, The Washington Post, 6-23-15 Examining Race-Based Admissions Bans On Medical Schools, NPR, 6-23-15 Fewer Poor Uninsured Under Health Law, Study Finds, The New York Times, 6-23-15 Obese Now Outnumber Overweight Americans, ModernHealthCare, 6-22-15 Looming Decision Could Cripple Part of NC…