HEALTH/MEDICAL TREATMENT: Provides relative to expedited partner therapy (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX See Note)

ENROLLED
ACT No. 5672026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 779
BY REPRESENTATIVES FREEMAN AND CHASSION
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 40:1121.6(A), (B), and (C)(introductory paragraph) and to enact
3 R.S. 40:1121.6(F) and (G), relative to expedited partner therapy; to provide for
4 eligible medical conditions for expedited partner therapy; to provide for liability; to
5 provide for the duties of the Louisiana Department of Health; and to provide for
6 related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 40:1121.6(A), (B), and (C)(introductory paragraph) are hereby
9 amended and reenacted and R.S. 40:1121.6(F) and (G) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §1121.6. Expedited partner therapy
11 A. The purpose of this Section is to allow for the provision of medications
12 or prescriptions by any physician licensed to practice medicine in this state or any
13 advanced practice registered nurse who is licensed to practice nursing in this state,
14 or any physician assistant, who is licensed to practice in this state, provided such
15 physician or nurse or physician assistant has the authority to write prescriptions in
16 this state, to individuals who may have been exposed to gonorrhea or chlamydia.
17 gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, or other sexually associated infection, as
18 determined by the Louisiana Department of Health. Expedited partner therapy is
19 hereby authorized absent a doctor-patient relationship and absent clinical assessment.
20 B. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, any
21 physician or any advanced practice registered nurse who diagnoses or does a nurse
22 clinical assessment or any physician assistant who performs an examination of a case
23 of chlamydia or gonorrhea gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, or other sexually
24 associated infection, as determined by the Louisiana Department of Health in an
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HB NO. 779 ENROLLED
1 individual patient may prescribe, furnish, or otherwise provide prescription antibiotic
2 drugs to that patient's sexual partner or partners absent a doctor-patient relationship
3 or absent an advanced practice registered nurse-patient relationship and without
4 examination or nurse clinical assessment or physician assistant examination of that
5 patient's sexual partner or partners.
6 C. If expedited partner therapy is chosen as an alternative, the patient with
7 a case of chlamydia or gonorrhea gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, or other
8 sexually associated infection, as determined by the Louisiana Department of Health
9 will be given a written document that he agrees to give to his sexual contact. The
10 document will contain, but will not be limited to, the following information:
11 * * *
12 F. A physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant
13 who reasonably and in good faith renders expedited partner therapy in accordance
14 with this Section and a pharmacist who reasonably and in good faith dispenses drugs
15 in accordance with this Section shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability or be
16 deemed to have engaged in unprofessional conduct.
17 G. The Louisiana Department of Health shall create a list of sexually
18 associated infections that are eligible for expedited partner therapy.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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