VA Bill to support doctors treating Lyme patients
Offered January 13, 2010 Prefiled January 12, 2010 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 54.1-3408.2, relating to long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease. ———-Patron– Rust ———-Committee Referral Pending ———-
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 54.1-3408.2 as follows:
§ 54.1-3408.2. Prescription for long-term antibiotic use for Lyme disease.
A. A licensed physician may prescribe, administer, or dispense long-term antibiotic therapy to a patient for a therapeutic purpose that treats such infection upon making a clinical diagnosis that such patient has Lyme disease or displays symptoms consistent with a clinical diagnosis of Lyme disease, provided such clinical diagnosis and treatment are documented in the patient’s medical record by such licensed physician. The Board of Medicine shall not initiate a disciplinary action against a licensed physician and such physician shall not be subject to disciplinary action by the Board of Medicine solely for prescribing, administering, or dispensing long-term antibiotic therapy to a patient clinically diagnosed with Lyme disease, provided such clinical diagnosis and treatment has been documented in the patient’s medical record by such licensed physician.
B. Nothing in this section shall be construed to grant any person immunity from investigation or disciplinary action for any other violation of this title.
C. The authority granted in this section to prescribe, administer, and dispense antibiotic therapy shall also apply to other tick-borne infections.
VA Bill: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?101+ful+HB512
Lyme Handbook 