26:4-48.2 Expedited partner therapy.

1. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a health care professional who diagnoses a patient as having a sexually transmitted disease may provide expedited partner therapy to a sexual partner of the patient pursuant to this act.

b. Expedited partner therapy shall consist of the health care professional:

(1) prescribing or dispensing medication for the treatment of the sexually transmitted disease. The medication shall be prescribed or dispensed in the sexual partner's name or, if not known, in the name of "Expedited Partner Therapy," and provided to the patient to give to the sexual partner;

(2) providing the patient with printed informational materials, which have been distributed by the department pursuant to subsection a. of section 2 of this act, for the patient to give to the sexual partner; and

(3) requesting that the patient advise the sexual partner of the importance of seeking clinical treatment for the sexually transmitted disease from a health care professional.

The health care professional shall not be required to perform a clinical examination of the sexual partner as a condition of providing expedited partner therapy.

c. A health care professional may provide expedited partner therapy to any sexual partner of the patient, provided that:

(1) the patient indicates with reasonable certainty that the patient has had sexual contact with the sexual partner within the past 60 days under circumstances in which there was a risk of transmission of a sexually transmitted disease;

(2) the patient indicates with reasonable certainty that the sexual partner is unable or unwilling to seek clinical services in a timely manner; and

(3) the patient indicates with reasonable certainty that the patient will be able to contact the sexual partner for the purposes of providing expedited partner therapy.

d. As used in this act:

"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Health.

"Department" means the Department of Health.

"Health care professional" means a physician, advanced practice nurse, certified nurse midwife, or physician assistant who is authorized to issue prescriptions for the medications used in expedited partner therapy and for whom the treatment of sexually transmitted disease is within the physician's, advanced practice nurse's, certified nurse midwife's, or physician assistant's scope of training and practice.

L.2019, c.336, s.1.