TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2024

DISPENSING OPTOMETRIST REGISTRATION SYSTEM OPEN EFFECTIVE MARCH 1, 2024.  Effective Friday, March 1, 2024, optometrists may register with the Board of Pharmacy to dispense certain prescription drugs.  G.S. § 90-127.4.  Dispensing optometrists may dispense prescription drugs to their own patients only for the diagnosis and treatment of abnormal conditions of the eye and its adnexa.  G.S. § 90-127.4(a) & (c).   Dispensing optometrists may not compound medications, nor may they dispense controlled substances.  G.S. § 90-127.4(a). 

Dispensing optometrists must register with the Board of Pharmacy prior to beginning dispensing activities and must renew that registration annually.  G.S. § 90-85.26B.  The initial registration fee is $75, as is the annual renewal fee.  G.S. § 90-85.24(a)(20). 

A dispensing optometrist must comply in all respects with relevant laws and regulations that apply to pharmacists governing the distribution of drugs, including packaging, labeling, and record keeping.  G.S. § 90-85.26B.  The Board of Pharmacy may discipline a dispensing optometrist’s registration for violation of these laws and regulations.  The Board of Optometry may discipline an optometrist’s license to practice optometry.  G.S. § 90-85.25B.

Step-by-step instructions for completing a dispensing optometrist registration are found here.