The Florida Senate

765.1103  Pain management and palliative care.--

(1)  A patient shall be given information concerning pain management and palliative care when he or she discusses with the attending or treating physician, or such physician's designee, the diagnosis, planned course of treatment, alternatives, risks, or prognosis for his or her illness. If the patient is incapacitated, the information shall be given to the patient's health care surrogate or proxy, court-appointed guardian as provided in chapter 744, or attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney as provided in chapter 709. The court-appointed guardian or attorney in fact must have been delegated authority to make health care decisions on behalf of the patient.

(2)  Health care providers and practitioners regulated under chapter 458, chapter 459, or chapter 464 must, as appropriate, comply with a request for pain management or palliative care from a patient under their care or, for an incapacitated patient under their care, from a surrogate, proxy, guardian, or other representative permitted to make health care decisions for the incapacitated patient. Facilities regulated under chapter 395 or chapter 400 must comply with the pain management or palliative care measures ordered by the patient's physician.

History.--s. 8, ch. 2000-295; s. 5, ch. 2001-250; s. 134, ch. 2001-277.