Pharmacist FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions for Pharmacists on Prescription Drug Wholesalers

Q: How can I find out whether a company is properly registered in North Carolina as a prescription drug wholesaler?

A: The Department of Agriculture maintains a searchable, on-line database of prescription drug wholesalers licensed in North Carolina. The database is available here: http://www.ncagr.com/aspzine/fd/fdpd/search.asp

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Q: May a pharmacy transfer prescription drugs to another pharmacy?

A: North Carolina Wholesale Prescription Drug Distributors Laws provide (N.C.G.S. 106-145.2(10)(e)): "The sale, purchase, or trade of a prescription drug or an offer to sell, purchase or trade a prescription drug for emergency medical reasons. Emergency medical reasons include transfers of prescription drugs by a retail pharmacy to another retail pharmacy to alleviate a temporary shortage when the gross dollar value of the transfer does not exceed 5% of the total prescription drug sales revenue of either the transferor or transferee pharmacy during a 12 consecutive month period."

Transfers between pharmacies that fall outside these guidelines would require a North Carolina wholesaler license. Note that the simple sale of excess stock to another pharmacy would be a wholesale activity. Pharmacists should also be aware that federal pedigree requirements could bear on transfers. And transfer of controlled substances between pharmacies requires compliance with all pertinent provisions of the federal Controlled Substances Act and associated regulations.

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Q: How do I apply for a drug wholesaler's license in North Carolina?

A: Drug wholesale licenses are handled by the NC Department of Agriculture's Food & Drug Protection Division. Please visit http://www.agr.state.nc.us/fooddrug/ for information.

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