103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3720

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Sen. Adriane Johnson

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
20 ILCS 2105/2105-410 new

    Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2025, whenever a prescriber prescribes a drug or medical device to a patient, the prescriber shall offer a copy of the written or electronic prescription to the patient. Provides that, beginning on January 1, 2025, prescribers shall not use medical abbreviations, including the name, frequency, and dosage of medications, in a written or electronic prescription. Requires the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to provide notice of the requirements to prescribers. Provides that the Department shall verify that written and electronic prescriptions prepared by prescribers do not contain medical abbreviations. Provides that, if a prescriber uses medical abbreviations in a written or electronic prescription, the Department shall issue a warning to the prescriber. Provides that the Department shall adopt rules to implement and administer these provisions. Defines "prescriber" and "written or electronic prescription". Effective immediately.


LRB103 36031 SPS 66118 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3720LRB103 36031 SPS 66118 b

1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Findings and purpose.
5    (a) The General Assembly finds that:
6        (1) each year in the United States, 7,000 to 9,000
7    individuals die as a result of medication error;
8        (2) there is room for error when there are more than
9    6,800 medications that can be prescribed and patients are
10    going to multiple facilities to receive their medications;
11    and
12        (3) when doctors use medical abbreviations, whether
13    they are on patient files that other medical providers use
14    or prescriptions that patients are given, it increases the
15    risk of medication error occurring.
16    (b) The purpose of this Act is to:
17        (1) ban the use of medical abbreviations in
18    prescriptions to eliminate confusion between service
19    providers and patients; and
20        (2) reduce the considerable number of fatalities that
21    result from medication errors annually.
 
22    Section 5. The Department of Professional Regulation Law
23of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by

 

 

SB3720- 2 -LRB103 36031 SPS 66118 b

1adding Section 2105-410 as follows:
 
2    (20 ILCS 2105/2105-410 new)
3    Sec. 2105-410. Prohibition on the use of medical
4abbreviations in prescriptions.
5    (a) In this Section:
6    "Prescriber" has the meaning given to that term in
7subsection (mm) of Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled
8Substances Act.
9    "Written or electronic prescription" means the document in
10which a prescriber discloses details about the medication
11being prescribed to the patient.
12    (b) Beginning on January 1, 2025, whenever a prescriber
13prescribes a drug or medical device to a patient, the
14prescriber shall offer a copy of the written or electronic
15prescription to the patient. Beginning on January 1, 2025,
16prescribers shall not use medical abbreviations, including the
17name, frequency, and dosage of medications, in a written or
18electronic prescription. The Department shall ensure that
19prescribers comply with this subsection.
20    (c) As soon as practical after the effective date of this
21amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the Department
22shall provide to prescribers notice of the requirements. The
23notice provided by the Department shall include information
24about medication errors in prescriptions.
25    (d) The Department shall verify that written or electronic

 

 

SB3720- 3 -LRB103 36031 SPS 66118 b

1prescriptions prepared by prescribers do not contain medical
2abbreviations. If a prescriber uses medical abbreviations in a
3written or electronic prescription, the Department shall issue
4a warning to the prescriber.
5    (e) The Department shall adopt rules to implement and
6administer this Section.
 
7    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
8becoming law.