Bill Text: NH HB295 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to the use of long-term antibiotics for the treatment of Lyme disease.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 4-2)
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-09 - House Law Without Signature 06/09/2011; Effective 06/09/2011; Chapter 0157; NH Constitution, Art.44, Pt.II [HB295 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2011-HB295-Introduced.html
HB 295 – AS INTRODUCED
2011 SESSION
10/04
HOUSE BILL 295
AN ACT relative to the use of long-term antibiotics for the treatment of Lyme disease.
SPONSORS: Rep. Daniels, Hills 6; Rep. C. Vita, Straf 3; Rep. Case, Rock 1; Rep. P. Schmidt, Straf 4; Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Forsythe, Dist 4
COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs
This bill authorizes licensed physicians to prescribe long-term antibiotics for therapeutic purposes to patients diagnosed with Lyme disease.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
11-0660
10/04
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eleven
AN ACT relative to the use of long-term antibiotics for the treatment of Lyme disease.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Physicians; Treatment of Lyme Disease. Amend RSA 329 by inserting after section 31 the following new section:
329:32 Treatment of Lyme Disease. A physician licensed under this chapter may prescribe, administer, or dispense long-term antibiotic therapy for therapeutic purposes to a person diagnosed with and having symptoms of Lyme disease if diagnosis and treatment has been documented in the physician’s medical record for that patient. No licensed physician may be subject to disciplinary action solely for prescribing, administering, or dispensing long-term antibiotic therapy for a patient clinically diagnosed with Lyme disease, if diagnosis and treatment has been documented in the physician’s medical record for that patient. In this section:
I. “Long-term antibiotic therapy” means the administration of oral, intramuscular, or intravenous antibiotics, singly or in combination, for periods of time in excess of 4 weeks.
II. “Lyme disease” means the clinical diagnosis by a licensed physician of the presence in a patient of signs or symptoms compatible with acute infection with Borrelia burgdorferi; or with late stage or persistent or chronic infection with Borrelia burgdorferi; or with complications related to such an infection; or such other strains of borrelia that are recognized by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a cause of Lyme disease. Lyme disease includes an infection that meets the surveillance criteria set forth by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other acute and chronic manifestations of such an infection as determined by a licensed physician, pursuant to a clinical diagnosis that is based on knowledge obtained through medical history and physical examination alone, or in conjunction with testing that provides supportive data for such clinical diagnosis.
III. “Therapeutic purpose” means the use of antibiotics to control a patient’s symptoms determined by the physician as reasonably related to Lyme disease and its sequelae.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
