Use of long-term antibiotic therapy in the treatment of Lyme disease

(a) As used in this section, (1) “long-term antibiotic therapy” means the administration of oral, intramuscular or intravenous antibiotics, singly or in combination, for periods of time in excess of four weeks; and (2) “Lyme disease” means the clinical diagnosis by a physician, licensed in accordance with chapter 370, a physician assistant, licensed in accordance with chapter 370, or an advanced practice registered nurse, licensed in accordance with chapter 378, of the presence in a patient of signs or symptoms compatible with acute infection with borrelia burgdorferi; or with late stage or persistent or chronic infection with borrelia burgdorferi, or with complications related to such an infection; or such other strains of borrelia that, on and after July 1, 2009, are recognized by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a cause of Lyme disease. Lyme disease includes an infection that meets the surveillance criteria set forth by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other acute and chronic manifestations of such an infection as determined by a physician, licensed in accordance with chapter 370, a physician assistant, licensed in accordance with chapter 370, or an advanced practice registered nurse, licensed in accordance with chapter 378, pursuant to a clinical diagnosis that is based on knowledge obtained through medical history and physical examination alone, or in conjunction with testing that provides supportive data for such clinical diagnosis. (b) On and after July 1, 2009, a licensed physician, a licensed physician assistant or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse may prescribe, administer or dispense long-term antibiotic therapy to a patient for a therapeutic purpose that eliminates such infection or controls a patient's symptoms 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, licensed physician assistant or licensed advanced practice registered nurse. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 20-8a and 20-13e, on and after said date, the Department of Public Health shall not initiate a disciplinary action against a licensed physician, a licensed physician assistant or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse and such physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse shall not be subject to disciplinary action by the Connecticut Medical Examining Board or the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Nursing 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, licensed physician assistant or licensed advanced practice registered nurse. (c) Nothing in this section shall prevent the Connecticut Medical Examining Board or the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Nursing from taking disciplinary action for other reasons against a licensed physician, a licensed physician assistant or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse, pursuant to section 19a-17, or from entering into a consent order with such physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse pursuant to subsection (c) of section 4-177. Subject to the limitation set forth in subsection (b) of this section, for purposes of this section, the Connecticut Medical Examining Board may take disciplinary action against a licensed physician if there is any violation of the provisions of section 20-13c or a physician assistant if there is any violation of the provisions of section 20-12f and the Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing may take disciplinary action against a licensed advanced practice registered nurse in accordance with the provisions of section 20-99.