1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2998 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2149
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Daniel M. Donahue
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to ensure safe medication administration.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Daniel M. Donahue16th Worcester1/18/2023David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester1/24/2023James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex1/24/2023Christopher Hendricks11th Bristol1/24/2023Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester1/25/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/31/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/31/2023James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol1/31/2023Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol1/31/2023Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex2/7/2023Margaret R. Scarsdale1st Middlesex2/7/2023Mary S. Keefe15th Worcester2/9/2023Paul McMurtry11th Norfolk2/9/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/17/2023Denise C. Garlick13th Norfolk2/17/2023Shirley B. Arriaga8th Hampden2/28/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2998 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2149
By Representative Donahue of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2149) of
Daniel M. Donahue and others for legislation to ensure safe medication administration. Public
Health.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act to ensure safe medication administration.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 7 of chapter 94C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (h), the following new
3subsection:-
4 (i) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, only a dentist, nurse,
5physician, podiatrist, perfusionist, optometrist or veterinarian licensed as a professional by
6chapter 112 of the General Laws, or any student enrolled in a course of study for said profession
7acting under the supervision of said licensed person and in accordance with the General Laws,
8may administer any controlled substance in schedule II, III, IV, V or VI of Section 3 of chapter
994C of the General Laws. This shall not be construed to prohibit the following:
10 (1) self-administration
11 (2) administration of epinephrine pens in an emergency; 2 of 2
12 (3) administration of controlled substances by emergency medical system personnel or
13 (4) administration of controlled substances by any ill, injured or infirm person's domestic
14partner or family member(s).
15 For the purposes of this section, "self-administration" shall include the ability of any ill,
16injured or infirm person who has sufficient understanding of their prescribed controlled
17substance(s); the indications and contraindications for such controlled substance(s); a
18recollection of the administration schedule for such controlled substance(s) and an ability to
19communicate this knowledge and the experienced effect of having taken a controlled substance,
20to supervise an unlicensed person in the direct administration of such controlled substance(s) to
21them.