AB 653

This bill allows a physician, physician assistant, or certified advanced practice

nurse prescriber to provide expedited partner therapy. The bill defines "expedited

partner therapy" as prescribing, dispensing, or furnishing to a patient an

antimicrobial drug to be used by a sexual partner of the patient to treat a chlamydial

infection, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis without physical examination of the sexual

partner. The bill defines "antimicrobial drug" as a drug identified for the treatment

of a chlamydial infection, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis in the most current

guidelines for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases of the federal Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention. Controlled substances are explicitly excluded

from the definition of "antimicrobial drug." A prescription order for an antimicrobial

drug prescribed as expedited partner therapy for the treatment of a chlamydial

infection, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis must include the name and address of the

patient's sexual partner, if known, or the words "expedited partner therapy" or "EPT"

in bold-face capital letters.

Under the bill, the Department of Health Services must prepare an information

sheet that includes information about sexually transmitted diseases and their

treatment and about the risk of drug allergies.

The bill permits a pharmacist to dispense an antimicrobial drug to a patient

upon receipt of a prescription order from a practitioner providing expedited partner

therapy. The bill exempts a physician, physician's assistant, or certified advanced

practice nurse prescriber who provides expedited partner therapy from civil liability

for injury to or the death of a patient's sexual partner unless an act or omission of the

physician, physician's assistant, or certified advanced practice nurse prescriber

involves reckless, wanton, or intentional misconduct. The bill also exempts a

pharmacist who dispenses an antimicrobial drug for the treatment of a chlamydial

infection, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis from civil liability for injury to or the death

of a patient's sexual partner unless an act or omission of the pharmacist involves

reckless, wanton, or intentional misconduct.