Enacts new GS 90-12.8 requiring a practitioner to do the following when prescribing an opioid pain medication: (1) provide information regarding all of the following to each patient receiving the prescription: the potential dangers of opioids, overdose prevention, and the availability and use of a drug approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration as an opioid antagonist for the complete or partial reversal of opioid-induced respiratory depression; (2) provide this information to one or more persons designated by the patient receiving the prescription or, for minors, to the minor's parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis. Defines practitioner as: (1) a physician, dentist, optometrist, veterinarian, scientific investigator, or other person licensed, registered or otherwise permitted to distribute, dispense, conduct research with respect to or to administer a controlled substance so long as such activity is within the normal course of professional practice or research in this State or (2) a pharmacy, hospital or other institution licensed, registered, or otherwise permitted to distribute, dispense, conduct research with respect to or to administer a controlled substance so long as such activity is within the normal course of professional practice or research in this state.

Requires pharmacists to do the following when dispensing an opioid pain medication: (1) ask the individual presenting the prescription if the individual has a prescription for an opioid antagonist and offer to fill that opioid antagonist prescription; (2) if the individual or someone acting on the individual's behalf does not have a prescription for an opioid antagonist, offer to dispense or distribute an opioid antagonist in accordance with specified state law or a statewide standing order; and (3) provide the information described above on the potential dangers of opioids, overdose prevention, and the availability and use of a drug approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration as an opioid antagonist for the complete or partial reversal of opioid-induced respiratory depression, to each individual with a prescription for an opioid pain medication.

Specifies that nothing in this statute creates a private right of action against a practitioner who fails to follow the statute's requirements, or limits a practitioner's liability for negligent diagnosis or treatment of a patient, as allowed under applicable State or federal law.

Effective October 1, 2023.