SB3720 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 36031 SPS 66118 b

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.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Findings and purpose.

(a) The General Assembly finds that:

(1) each year in the United States, 7,000 to 9,000 individuals die as a result of medication error;

(2) there is room for error when there are more than 6,800 medications that can be prescribed and patients are going to multiple facilities to receive their medications; and

(3) when doctors use medical abbreviations, whether they are on patient files that other medical providers use or prescriptions that patients are given, it increases the risk of medication error occurring.

(b) The purpose of this Act is to:

(1) ban the use of medical abbreviations in prescriptions to eliminate confusion between service providers and patients; and

(2) reduce the considerable number of fatalities that result from medication errors annually.

Section 5. The Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 2105-410 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2105/2105-410 new)

Sec. 2105-410. Prohibition on the use of medical abbreviations in prescriptions.

(a) In this Section:

"Prescriber" has the meaning given to that term in subsection (mm) of Section 102 of the Illinois Controlled Substances Act.

"Written or electronic prescription" means the document in which a prescriber discloses details about the medication being prescribed to the patient.

(b) 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. 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. The Department shall ensure that prescribers comply with this subsection.

(c) As soon as practical after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly, the Department shall provide to prescribers notice of the requirements. The notice provided by the Department shall include information about medication errors in prescriptions.

(d) The Department shall verify that written or electronic prescriptions prepared by prescribers do not contain medical abbreviations. If a prescriber uses medical abbreviations in a written or electronic prescription, the Department shall issue a warning to the prescriber.

(e) The Department shall adopt rules to implement and administer this Section.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.