§ 30-A §1559 — Administration of medication

1.
Administration of medication by sheriff or deputy.
The sheriff of any county may administer to any prisoner in custody any oral or topical medication as prescribed by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, physician associate or dentist and approved by the facility health care provider or, if requested by a prisoner, any nonprescription medication in accordance with the directions on its container. The sheriff may delegate this authority to administer medication to the jail administrator or the jail administrator's designee or the facility health care provider.
2.
Limitations on administration of medication.
The sheriff or the sheriff's delegate may not administer any prescription or nonprescription medication to any prisoner who has been incarcerated in the county jail for less than 24 hours, unless the sheriff or the delegate has consulted with and received permission to administer that medication from a licensed physician, nurse practitioner, physician associate or dentist or the facility health care provider.
3.
Insulin injections.
This section does not prevent any prisoner from self-administering insulin injections, provided that:
4.
Statement by prisoner.
Before administering any nonprescription medication to any prisoner who has been incarcerated in the county jail for 24 hours or longer, the sheriff or the sheriff's delegate shall obtain a written statement signed by the prisoner, which states that the prisoner has requested that medication and has had no previous adverse allergic reaction to that medication.
5.
Records of medication administered.
Every sheriff or the sheriff's delegate shall maintain for at least 2 years a record which includes a description of each prescription and nonprescription medication administered in the county jail and the identity of each person to whom that medication is administered.
6.
Administration of medication not a violation.
The administration of medication to prisoners, as provided in this section, is not a violation of Title 32, section 2102, subsection 2, paragraph F, or Title 32, section 3270, or any other law.

Legislative History

PL 1987, c. 737, §§A2,C106 (NEW). PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 104, §§C8,10 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 153, §1 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 667, §A48 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 316, §3 (REV).