S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7351
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      May 6, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  GOTTFRIED  --  read once and referred to the
         Committee on Health
       AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the use of psycho-
         tropic medications in nursing homes and adult care facilities
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new section
    2  280-a to read as follows:
    3    S 280-A. USE OF PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATIONS IN NURSING  HOMES  AND  ADULT
    4  CARE FACILITIES. 1. AS USED IN THIS SECTION:
    5    (A)  "PSYCHOTROPIC  MEDICATION" MEANS A DRUG THAT AFFECTS BRAIN ACTIV-
    6  ITIES ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL PROCESSES AND BEHAVIOR, INCLUDING, BUT  NOT
    7  LIMITED TO, ANTIPSYCHOTICS, ANTIDEPRESSANTS, ANTIANXIETY DRUGS OR ANXIO-
    8  LYTICS, AND HYPNOTICS;
    9    (B)  "LAWFUL  REPRESENTATIVE" MEANS, WHERE A PATIENT LACKS CAPACITY TO
   10  CONSENT TO HEALTH CARE, A PERSON AUTHORIZED TO CONSENT ON BEHALF OF  THE
   11  PATIENT,  INCLUDING,  BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A HEALTH CARE AGENT AUTHORIZED
   12  BY A HEALTH CARE PROXY UNDER ARTICLE TWENTY-NINE-C OF THIS CHAPTER OR  A
   13  SURROGATE UNDER ARTICLE TWENTY-NINE-CC OF THIS CHAPTER;
   14    (C)  "INCREASE"  WHEN  USED IN RELATION TO AN ORDER FOR A PSYCHOTROPIC
   15  MEDICATION, MEANS AN INCREASE OF THE DOSAGE OR DURATION OF  THE  MEDICA-
   16  TION  ABOVE  THE  DOSAGE  OR  DURATION  COVERED  BY THE CURRENTLY ACTIVE
   17  CONSENT;
   18    (D) "HEALTH CARE  PROFESSIONAL"  MEANS  A  HEALTH  CARE  PROFESSIONAL,
   19  LICENSED,  CERTIFIED  OR AUTHORIZED TO PRACTICE UNDER TITLE EIGHT OF THE
   20  EDUCATION LAW, ACTING WITHIN HIS OR HER LAWFUL SCOPE  OF  PRACTICE,  WHO
   21  HAS AUTHORITY TO ORDER A PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION; AND
   22    (E)  "PATIENT"  MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS A RESIDENT OF A RESIDENTIAL
   23  HEALTH CARE FACILITY AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE TWENTY-EIGHT OF THIS CHAPTER,
   24  OR  AN  ADULT  CARE  FACILITY  CERTIFIED  UNDER  SECTION  FOUR   HUNDRED
   25  SIXTY-ONE-B OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD10759-01-5
       A. 7351                             2
    1    2.  (A)  AN  ORDER  FOR  A  PSYCHOTROPIC  MEDICATION SHALL INCLUDE THE
    2  DOSAGE, FREQUENCY, AND DURATION OF THE ORDER WHICH SHALL NOT EXCEED  SIX
    3  MONTHS.  A  HEALTH  CARE PROFESSIONAL MAY NOT ORDER OR INCREASE AN ORDER
    4  FOR A PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION FOR  A  PATIENT  UNLESS  THE  HEALTH  CARE
    5  PROFESSIONAL HAS OBTAINED THE WRITTEN INFORMED CONSENT OF THE PATIENT OR
    6  THE  PATIENT'S  LAWFUL REPRESENTATIVE, OR IS ACTING PURSUANT TO AN ORDER
    7  UNDER THIS SECTION,  OR  IS  ACTING  UNDER  SUBDIVISION  THREE  OF  THIS
    8  SECTION.  WHERE  A  PATIENT LACKS CAPACITY TO CONSENT TO HEALTH CARE AND
    9  LACKS A LAWFUL REPRESENTATIVE, AN ORDER OR INCREASE OF  AN  ORDER  UNDER
   10  THIS SECTION SHALL BE SUBJECT TO SUBDIVISION FOUR OF SECTION TWENTY-NINE
   11  HUNDRED  NINETY-FOUR-G  OF  THIS CHAPTER AS IF THE PATIENT WERE AN INPA-
   12  TIENT OF A GENERAL HOSPITAL. TO CONSTITUTE INFORMED CONSENT, THE FOLLOW-
   13  ING DISCLOSURE SHALL BE GIVEN TO THE PATIENT OR, WHERE THE PATIENT LACKS
   14  CAPACITY TO CONSENT TO HEALTH CARE, THE PATIENT'S LAWFUL REPRESENTATIVE,
   15  IN A CLEAR AND EXPLICIT MANNER:
   16    (I) THE REASON FOR THE MEDICATION, INCLUDING THE NATURE  AND  SERIOUS-
   17  NESS OF THE PATIENT'S ILLNESS, DISORDER OR CONDITION THAT THE MEDICATION
   18  IS INTENDED TO TREAT;
   19    (II)  THE  ANTICIPATED  BENEFIT  FROM  THE MEDICATION, AND THE DOSAGE,
   20  FREQUENCY, AND DURATION OF THE ORDER;
   21    (III) THE PROBABILITY OF SIDE EFFECTS AND  SIGNIFICANT  RISKS  OF  THE
   22  MEDICATION,  INCLUDING  THE NATURE, DEGREE, AND DURATION OF SUCH EFFECTS
   23  AND REASONABLY KNOWN RISKS;
   24    (IV) THE REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS TO THE PROPOSED  MEDICATION
   25  AND  THE  REASON  THAT THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL PREFERS THE PROPOSED
   26  MEDICATION IN THIS INSTANCE; AND
   27    (V) THAT THE PATIENT OR LAWFUL REPRESENTATIVE HAS THE RIGHT TO CONSENT
   28  OR REFUSE CONSENT TO USE OF THE PROPOSED MEDICATION, AND THAT IF  HE  OR
   29  SHE  CONSENTS,  HE OR SHE HAS THE RIGHT TO REVOKE HIS OR HER CONSENT FOR
   30  ANY REASON, AT ANY TIME, INCLUDING A  DESCRIPTION  OF  HOW  THE  CONSENT
   31  SHALL BE REVOKED.
   32    (B)  THE  HEALTH  CARE  PROFESSIONAL  SHALL  DOCUMENT IN THE PATIENT'S
   33  MEDICAL RECORD THE DATE AND TIME THAT THE  INFORMED  CONSENT  DISCLOSURE
   34  WAS  PROVIDED,  AND TO WHOM AND BY WHOM IT WAS PROVIDED, AND INCLUDE THE
   35  WRITTEN CONSENT.
   36    (C) WHERE THE PATIENT'S MEDICAL RECORD NOTES THAT A FAMILY MEMBER  HAS
   37  REQUESTED  NOTIFICATION  OF  MEDICATION ORDERS, AND SUCH NOTIFICATION IS
   38  OTHERWISE LAWFUL, THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL SHALL CAUSE NOTICE TO  BE
   39  PROVIDED  WITHIN  FORTY-EIGHT  HOURS  OF  THE  PRESCRIPTION,  ORDER,  OR
   40  INCREASE OF AN ORDER UNDER  THIS  SECTION.  SUCH  NOTICE  SHALL  NOT  BE
   41  PROVIDED IF THE PATIENT SPECIFICALLY REQUESTS THAT THE FAMILY MEMBER NOT
   42  BE GIVEN NOTIFICATION.
   43    3.  A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL IS NOT REQUIRED TO OBTAIN CONSENT UNDER
   44  THIS SECTION TO ISSUE AN ORDER FOR USE OF A PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION  FOR
   45  A  PATIENT  WHERE  IT IS REASONABLY NECESSARY IN AN EMERGENCY TO PROTECT
   46  THE LIFE, HEALTH OR SAFETY OF THE PATIENT OR ANOTHER  PERSON.  WHERE  AN
   47  ORDER IS MADE UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION, THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL SHALL
   48  IMMEDIATELY  RECORD  THE  USE OF THE PSYCHOTROPIC MEDICATION, THE REASON
   49  FOR THE USE, AND THE DOSAGE, IN THE PATIENT'S MEDICAL RECORD; AND  SHALL
   50  PROMPTLY  NOTIFY  THE PATIENT OR THE PATIENT'S LAWFUL REPRESENTATIVE WHO
   51  WOULD HAVE HAD THE AUTHORITY TO CONSENT, AND ANY FAMILY MEMBER  REQUIRED
   52  TO  BE  NOTIFIED UNDER THIS SECTION AND RECORD SUCH NOTIFICATIONS IN THE
   53  PATIENT'S MEDICAL RECORD.
   54    4. THIS SECTION DOES NOT INCREASE THE LAWFUL SCOPE OF PRACTICE OF  ANY
   55  HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL AND DOES NOT DIMINISH OR IMPAIR ANY REQUIREMENT
   56  FOR OR REGULATION OF CONSENT TO HEALTH CARE TREATMENT.
       A. 7351                             3
    1    5. THE COMMISSIONER MAY MAKE REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THIS SECTION.
    2    S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    3  it  shall  have  become a law; provided that, effective immediately, the
    4  commissioner of health is authorized to make regulations  and  take  any
    5  other  actions necessary to implement section 280-a of the public health
    6  law.