Amendment ID: S2020-17-R1

Redraft Amendment 17

Informed Consent for Minors

Ms. Donoghue, Messrs. Tarr, Montigny and Fattman, Ms. O'Connor Ives, Messrs. deMacedo and Joyce and Mrs. L'Italien move to amend the bill by inserting after section 17 the following section:-

“Section 17A.  Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section. 236.  Before a practitioner prescribes a controlled substance that contains an opioid to a minor, the prescriber shall have received informed consent from the parent or guardian of the minor, except in the case of a medical emergency.  The practitioner shall consider the minor's health and risk of the minor developing a substance use disorder before prescribing a controlled substance that contains an opioid to the minor.  The minor's parent or guardian shall be notified of the risks and dangers of addiction and overdose associated with controlled substances containing opioid before signing a consent form, which shall be in a form approved by the department. The written consent form shall be maintained in the minor’s medical record.  Failure to prescribe a controlled substance that contains an opioid without obtaining informed consent shall result in suspension of the license of that practitioner for not less than 6 months.”