Revision: March 21, 2011, midnight
HB 295 – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
16Mar2011… 0748h
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 requires the board of medicine to post a statement on Lyme disease treatment on its website.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
16Mar2011… 0748h
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 Board of Medicine; Lyme Disease Treatment. The board of medicine established in RSA 329:2 shall post and maintain on its website the following statement: No licensee 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.
2 Terms Defined. For purposes of section 1 of this act:
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 disease caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings such as rash, and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful when used appropriately.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.