NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1979 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 147

HOUSE BILL 415

 

 

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR EXCHANGE OF PATIENT INFORMATION BETWEEN TREATMENT FACILITIES.

 

Whereas, it is in the best interest of the mentally impaired client that those who provide treatment are knowledgeable of the past treatment of the client; and

Whereas, clients in need of mental health treatment are often treated in multiple facilities during the course of their illness; Now, therefore,

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 122-8.1 as the same appears in the 1977 Cumulative Supplement to Volume 3B of the General Statutes is amended by adding subsection (c) to read as follows:

"(c)       Further, notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), any treatment facility as defined by G.S. 122-36(g) or by G.S. 122-56.2(b) shall furnish information in its possession regarding any present or former resident or patient of that treatment facility to any other such treatment facility upon request from the latter treatment facility if the resident or patient is presently seeking treatment from the requesting treatment facility or has been involuntarily committed to the requesting treatment facility for inpatient or outpatient treatment. In addition, any treatment facility shall furnish information in its possession regarding any present or former resident or patient upon request from the treatment facility which referred or previously referred the resident or patient to it. Under the circumstances described in this subsection, the consent of the patient or resident shall not be required in order for this information to be so furnished and the information shall be furnished pursuant to such requests despite objection by the patient or resident."

Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective July 1, 1979.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 15th day of March, 1979.