Montana § 53-21-145 - Right To Be Free From Unnecessary Or Excessive Medication

§ 53-21-145. Right To Be Free From Unnecessary Or Excessive Medication

Right to be free from unnecessary or excessive medication. Patients have a right to be free from unnecessary or excessive medication. A medication may not be administered unless at the written order of a physician or advanced practice registered nurse with a clinical specialty in psychiatric mental health nursing. The attending physician or advanced practice registered nurse with a clinical specialty in psychiatric mental health nursing is responsible for all medication given or administered to a patient. The use of medication may not exceed standards of use that are advocated by the United States food and drug administration. Notation of each individual's medication must be kept in the individual's medical records. The department shall adopt rules governing attending physician or advanced practice registered nurse with a clinical specialty in psychiatric mental health nursing review of the drug regimen of each patient under the physician's or the advanced practice registered nurse's care in a mental health facility, except that the drug regimen of inpatients in hospitals must be reviewed no less than weekly. Except in the case of outpatients, all prescriptions must be written with a termination date, which may not exceed 30 days. Medication may not be used as punishment, for the convenience of staff, as a substitute for a treatment program, or in quantities that interfere with the patient's treatment program.