FILED ON: 11/16/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2083

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

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An Act relative to psychotropic medications.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official  Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 72AA the following section:—

Section 72BB.  Prior to administering a psychotropic medication to a resident, a nursing home, rest home, or other long term care facility shall obtain informed written consent from the resident, the resident’s health care proxy, or a court appointed Rogers guardian The written consent form shall state the purpose, use and any effects or side effects of the psychotropic medication. Such written consent form shall be kept in the resident’s medical record. As used in this section, “psychotropic medication” shall mean a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood,  consciousness and behavior.