Sen. Ford files bill in North Carolina Senate to expand pharmacists’ testing and treatment roles

A new bill filed by Sen. Ford seeks to expand pharmacists’ roles in healthcare by allowing testing, treatment, and ensuring equitable reimbursement within their scope of practice, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

The bill, filed as SB 414 on March 24 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘Pharmacists/Test and Treat.’

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill permits pharmacists to test and treat specific illnesses, such as influenza and COVID-19, using CLIA-waived tests and medications approved by the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy. It ensures equitable reimbursement for healthcare services provided by pharmacists that are within their scope of practice and equivalent to those performed by other healthcare professionals. The bill mandates that health benefit plans in the state cover services rendered by pharmacists, provided these services fall within the pharmacists’ lawful scope of practice and are similar to those covered when performed by other healthcare providers. It requires the inclusion of pharmacists in medical benefit provider networks and outlines credentialing processes to facilitate this integration. The bill is effective Oct. 1, 2025, applying to insurance contracts from that date onward, while the State Health Director must develop statewide protocols in consultation with relevant boards.

Of the three sponsors of this bill, Timothy D. Moffitt proposed the most bills (52) during the 2025 regular session.

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Ford, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2019 to represent the state’s 33rd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Cathy Dunn.