What's happening
This bill requires pharmacists to provide suicide prevention information when dispensing certain antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications, especially for minors.
Why it matters
Increases focus on suicide prevention at the pharmacy counter. By requiring pharmacists to provide suicide prevention resources and a warning pamphlet when dispensing certain antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications, the bill brings suicide risk discussions directly into the medication dispensing process—an opportunity to reach patients who may not otherwise receive this information.
Adds a layer of parental involvement for minors. For patients under 17, a parent or legal guardian must be present during the pharmacist consultation, ensuring that families are informed and can help monitor for warning signs, potentially improving early intervention and support.
Mandates standardized, up-to-date information. The law tasks the state with regularly identifying which medications carry increased suicide risk and producing standardized materials, ensuring that the information patients and families receive is both accurate and consistent across all pharmacies.
Empowers pharmacists as part of the mental health safety net. By making pharmacists active participants in suicide risk education, the bill leverages their accessibility and frequent patient contact, potentially reaching individuals who might be at risk but not yet engaged with mental health services.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Warn About Suicide Risk Meds
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
8 Co-sponsors
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to mental health
- Referred to mental health
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7132
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 10, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SEPULVEDA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Mental Health
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to the prescription of antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications which have an increased risk of suicidal behavior
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 7.49 to read as follows: § 7.49 Antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications; suicide risk.
(a) When a patient receives a prescription for an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication in an outpatient setting, and the medication has an increased risk of suicidality, the office shall identify such medications and shall require pharmacists in the course of consultation, upon the first time dispensing of the medication to the patient, to provide the following:
(1) the toll-free suicide prevention lifeline telephone number established by the office;
(2) the suicide prevention lifeline website internet address established by the office; and
(3) a pamphlet published by the office setting forth all relevant information regarding the increased risk of suicide and suicidal side effects associated with the medication, including, but not limited to, information setting forth the warning signs associated with such suicidal behavior and any other information the office deems relevant.
(b) Any consultation required by subdivision (a) of this section with a person under seventeen years of age shall require that a parent or legal guardian of such person be in attendance during such consultation.
(c) No medication described in subdivision (a) of this section shall be dispensed, dispersed or otherwise given to a person under seventeen
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00729-01-7
A. 7132 2
years of age unless a parent or legal guardian of such person is in attendance during the consultation.
(d) The office is authorized and directed to promulgate any rules and regulations and prepare pamphlets necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.