SENATE DOCKET, NO. 264        FILED ON: 1/19/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 262

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Steven A. Baddour

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to psychotropic medications.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Steven A. Baddour

 


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 264        FILED ON: 1/19/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 262

By Mr. Baddour, petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 262) of Baddour for legislation relative to psychotropic medications [Joint Committee on Elder Affairs].

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2509 OF 2009-2010.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

_______________

 

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:
 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official  Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 72Z the following section:- 

Section 72AA. 

SECTION 1. Definitions. 

The following definitions shall apply; 

“psychotropic medication” is 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; 

SECTION 2. Every resident in a nursing home, rest home, or other long term care facility that is  prescribed psychotropic medications, shall have the facility in which they reside first obtain informed consent from the resident, the resident’s health care proxy, or a court appointed Rogers guardian.

The prescribing physician shall have a conversation with the resident, health care proxy or court appointed Rogers guardian about the psychotropic at the time of the prescription or at the next visit.  The prescribing physician shall document the conversation in the resident’s records at the facility.