HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2916        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3884

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

_________________

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 informed consent of opioid-based prescriptions.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

1/17/2019

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/31/2019

Tricia Farley-Bouvier

3rd Berkshire

6/6/2019

Peter Capano

11th Essex

6/6/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2916        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3884

By Mr. LeBoeuf of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3884) of David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf and others relative to informed consent of opioid-based prescriptions.  Public Health.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act relative to informed consent of opioid-based prescriptions.

 

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 is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 238. Prior to issuing a prescription of an opioid drug which is a controlled substance as set forth in section 31 of chapter 94C, a practitioner shall discuss with the patient, or the patient's parent or guardian if the patient is under 18 years of age and is not an emancipated minor, the risks associated with the drugs being prescribed, including but not limited to: (i) the risks of addiction and overdose associated with opioid drugs and the dangers of taking opioid drugs with alcohol, benzodiazepines and other central nervous system depressants; (ii) alternative treatments that may be available; and (iii) risks associated with the use of the drugs being prescribed, specifically that opioids are highly addictive, even when taken as prescribed, that there is a risk of developing a physical or psychological dependence on opioids, and that the risks of taking more opioids than prescribed, or mixing sedatives, benzodiazepines or alcohol with opioids, can result in fatal respiratory depression.

The practitioner shall require the patient to sign an acknowledgement that the patient or the patient's parent or guardian, as applicable, has discussed with the practitioner the risks of developing a physical or psychological dependence on opioids and understands the risks presented by the practitioner.