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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 590 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1452
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Marc R. Pacheco
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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.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Marc R. PachecoThird Bristol and PlymouthJack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/30/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/21/2023 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 590 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1452
By Mr. Pacheco, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1452) of Marc R. Pacheco, Jack
Patrick Lewis and James B. Eldridge for legislation to ensure safe medication administration.
Public Health.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1511 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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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 7 of chapter 94C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition,
2is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (h), the following new subsection:-
3 (i) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, only a dentist, nurse,
4physician, podiatrist, perfusionist, optometrist or veterinarian licensed as a professional by
5chapter 112 of the General Laws, or any student enrolled in a course of study for said profession
6acting under the supervision of said licensed person and in accordance with the General Laws,
7may administer any controlled substance in schedule II, III , IV, V or VI of Section 3 of chapter
894C of the General Laws. This shall not be construed to prohibit the following:
9 (1) self-administration 2 of 2
10 (2) administration of epinephrine pens in an emergency;
11 (3) administration of controlled substances by emergency medical system personnel or
12 (4) administration of controlled substances by any ill, injured or infirm person's domestic
13partner or family member(s).
14 For the purposes of this section, "self-administration" shall include the ability of any ill,
15injured or infirm person who has sufficient understanding of their prescribed controlled
16substance(s); the indications and contraindications for such controlled substance(s); a
17recollection of the administration schedule for such controlled substance(s) and an ability to
18communicate this knowledge and the experienced effect of having taken a controlled substance,
19to supervise an unlicensed person in the direct administration of such controlled substance(s) to
20them.