Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 319i - Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities
Section 17a-543. (Formerly Sec. 17-206d). - Procedures governing medication, treatment, psychosurgery and shock therapy.

(a) No patient shall receive medication for the treatment of the psychiatric disabilities of such patient without the informed consent of such patient, except in accordance with procedures set forth in subsections (b), (d), (e) and (f) of this section or in accordance with section 17a-543a, 17a-566 or 54-56d.

(b) No medical or surgical procedures may be performed without the patient's written informed consent or, if the patient has been declared incapable of caring for himself or herself pursuant to sections 45a-644 to 45a-662, inclusive, and a conservator of the person has been appointed pursuant to section 45a-650, the written consent of such conservator. If the head of the hospital, in consultation with a physician, determines that the condition of an involuntary patient not declared incapable of caring for himself or herself pursuant to said sections is of an extremely critical nature and the patient is incapable of informed consent, medical or surgical procedures may be performed with the written informed consent of: (1) The patient's health care representative; (2) the patient's conservator or guardian, if he or she has one; (3) the patient's next of kin; (4) a person designated by the patient pursuant to section 1-56r; or (5) a qualified physician appointed by a judge of the Probate Court. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, if obtaining the consent provided for in this section would cause a medically harmful delay to a voluntary or involuntary patient whose condition is of an extremely critical nature, as determined by personal observation by a physician or the senior clinician on duty, emergency treatment may be provided without consent.
(c) No psychosurgery or shock therapy shall be administered to any patient without the patient's written informed consent, except as provided in this subsection. Such consent shall be for a maximum period of thirty days and may be revoked at any time. If it is determined by the head of the hospital and two qualified physicians that the patient has become incapable of giving informed consent, shock therapy may be administered upon order of the Probate Court if, after hearing, such court finds that the patient is incapable of informed consent and there is no other, less intrusive beneficial treatment. An order of the Probate Court authorizing the administration of shock therapy pursuant to this subsection shall be effective for not more than forty-five days.
(d) A facility may establish an internal procedure governing decisions concerning involuntary medication treatment for inpatients. Such procedure shall provide (1) that any decision concerning involuntary medication treatment shall be made by a person who is not employed by the facility in which the patient is receiving treatment, provided the selection of such person shall not be made until the patient's advocate has had reasonable opportunity to discuss such selection with the facility, (2) written and oral notification to the patient of available advocacy services, (3) notice to the patient and the patient's advocate, if one has been chosen, of any proceeding for the determination of the necessity for involuntary treatment not less than forty-eight hours prior to such proceeding, (4) the right of the patient to representation during any such proceeding, (5) questioning of any witness at any such proceeding including, if requested, one or both of the physicians who made the determination pursuant to subsection (e) of this section concerning the patient's capacity to give informed consent and the necessity of medication for the patient's treatment, and (6) a written decision. If a decision is made in accordance with the standards set forth in this section that a patient shall receive involuntary medication, and there is substantial probability that without such medication for the treatment of the psychiatric disabilities of the patient the condition of the patient will rapidly deteriorate, such involuntary medication may be provided for a period not to exceed thirty days or until a decision is made by the Probate Court under subsection (e) or (f) of this section, whichever is sooner.
(e) (1) (A) If it is determined by the head of the hospital and two qualified physicians that a patient is incapable of giving informed consent to medication for the treatment of the patient's psychiatric disabilities and such medication is deemed to be necessary for the patient's treatment, a facility may utilize the procedures established in subsection (d) of this section and may apply to the Probate Court for appointment of a conservator of the person with specific authority to consent to the administration of medication or, in a case where a conservator of the person has previously been appointed under section 45a-650, the facility or the conservator may petition the Probate Court to grant such specific authority to the conservator. The Probate Court may appoint a conservator with such specific authority pursuant to this subparagraph if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the patient is incapable of giving informed consent to medication for the treatment of the patient's psychiatric disability and such medication is necessary for the patient's treatment.
(B) The conservator shall meet with the patient and the physician, review the patient's written record and consider the risks and benefits from the medication, the likelihood and seriousness of adverse side effects, the preferences of the patient, the patient's religious views, and the prognosis with and without medication. After consideration of such information, the conservator shall either consent to the patient receiving medication for the treatment of the patient's psychiatric disabilities or refuse to consent to the patient receiving such medication.
(2) The authority of a conservator to consent to the administration of medication under subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be effective for not more than one hundred twenty days. In the case of continuous hospitalization of the patient beyond such one hundred twenty days, if the head of the hospital and two qualified physicians determine that the patient continues to be incapable of giving informed consent to medication for the treatment of the patient's psychiatric disabilities and such medication is deemed to be necessary for the patient's treatment, the authority of the conservator to consent to the administration of medication may be extended for a period not to exceed one hundred twenty days by order of the Probate Court without a hearing upon application by the head of the hospital. Prompt notice of the order shall be given to the patient, conservator and facility.
(f) (1) If it is determined by the head of the hospital and two qualified physicians that (A) a patient is capable of giving informed consent but refuses to consent to medication for treatment of the patient's psychiatric disabilities, (B) there is no less intrusive beneficial treatment, and (C) without medication, the psychiatric disabilities with which the patient has been diagnosed will continue unabated and place the patient or others in direct threat of harm, the facility may utilize the procedures established in subsection (d) of this section and may apply to the Probate Court to authorize the administration to the patient of medication for the treatment of the patient's psychiatric disabilities, despite the refusal of the patient to consent to such medication. The Probate Court may authorize the administration of medication to the patient pursuant to this subdivision if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that (i) the patient is capable of giving informed consent but refuses to consent to medication for treatment of the patient's psychiatric disabilities, (ii) there is no less intrusive beneficial treatment, and (iii) without medication, the psychiatric disabilities with which the patient has been diagnosed will continue unabated and place the patient or others in direct threat of harm.
(2) An order authorizing the administration of medication under subdivision (1) of this subsection shall be effective for not more than one hundred twenty days. In the case of continuous hospitalization of the patient beyond such one hundred twenty days, if the head of the hospital and two qualified physicians determine that (A) the patient continues to be capable of giving informed consent but refuses to consent to medication for treatment of the patient's psychiatric disabilities, (B) there is no less intrusive beneficial treatment, and (C) without medication, the psychiatric disabilities with which the patient has been diagnosed will continue unabated and place the patient or others in direct threat of harm, the order may be extended for a period not to exceed one hundred twenty days by order of the Probate Court without a hearing. Prompt notice of the order shall be given to the patient and facility.
(g) If a decision has been made to administer involuntary medication to a patient pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, the patient may petition the Probate Court to expedite the hearing on an application filed by the facility pursuant to subsection (e) or (f) of this section or, if no application has been filed, to hold a hearing to decide whether to allow the administration of involuntary medication. Either hearing shall be held within fifteen days after the date of the patient's petition.
(h) For the purposes of this section, “voluntary patient” means any patient sixteen years of age or older who applies in writing for, and is admitted to, a hospital for observation, diagnosis or treatment of a mental disorder.
(i) Unless there is a serious risk of harm to the patient or others, based upon the patient's past history or current condition, nothing in this section authorizes any form of involuntary medical, psychological or psychiatric treatment of any patient who in the sincere practice of his or her religious beliefs is being treated by prayer alone in accordance with the principles and practices of a church or religious denomination by a duly accredited practitioner or ordained minister, priest or rabbi thereof. The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the purposes of this subsection.
(1971, P.A. 834, S. 4; P.A. 74-35, S. 1, 2; P.A. 76-227, S. 6, 7; P.A. 77-4, S. 1, 2; 77-595, S. 9; P.A. 78-219, S. 1; P.A. 80-189, S. 3; P.A. 93-369, S. 1; P.A. 95-257, S. 5, 11, 48, 58; P.A. 96-180, S. 47, 166; 96-202, S. 2; 96-215, S. 1, 4; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8, S. 2, 88; P.A. 02-105, S. 4; P.A. 03-31, S. 1; P.A. 04-160, S. 2; P.A. 06-195, S. 61; P.A. 07-117, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 74-35 set forth conditions under which patient may be treated by procedures without his consent; P.A. 76-227 added feminine personal pronouns and forbade facility to require blanket consent to all procedures as condition of admission or treatment; P.A. 77-4 and 77-595 changed effective date of 1976 act from March 1, 1977, to October 1, 1977; P.A. 78-219 divided section into Subsecs. (a) to (c) and (e), prohibited forcing patients to accept unwanted medication or treatment except as provided, deleted references to electroshock therapy in previous provisions, deleted proviso for performing procedures on voluntary patient without his consent, replaced requirement that patient's condition would be “immediately fatal” with “extremely critical” condition for emergency procedure with no one's consent and required one rather than two consulting physicians and inserted new Subsec. (d) re psychosurgery and shock therapy; P.A. 80-189 clarified consent provisions re involuntary patients in Subsec. (b); Sec. 17-206d transferred to Sec. 17a-543 in 1991; P.A. 93-369 revised section by deleting former provisions re treatment of involuntary patients and substituting provisions that no patient shall receive medication or treatment of mental illness without informed consent of patient, except in accordance with section or Sec. 17a-566 or 54-56d, that no medical or surgical procedures may be performed without written informed consent of patient or conservator, unless condition is of critical nature, specifying that emergency treatment may be provided without consent and that facility may establish internal procedures re involuntary medication treatment of inpatients, and added provisions re content of such procedures, duration of order for medication, expedited hearing in probate court re order for involuntary medication and definition of voluntary patient; P.A. 95-257 replaced “mental illness” with “psychiatric disabilities”, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-180 made a technical correction in Subsec. (f), substituting reference to Subsec. (l) for Subsec. (h) of Sec. 17a-540, effective June 3, 1996; P.A. 96-202 made technical change in Subsec. (b)(1) adding reference to conservators; P.A. 96-215 inserted new Subsec. (d)(3) of Subsec. (d) requiring procedures to provide notice to patient or advocate re proceeding to determine necessity of involuntary treatment not less than 48 hours prior to proceedings and (d)(5) re questioning of physicians who made determination of capacity to give informed consent and necessity of medication, renumbering prior Subdivs. as necessary, amended Subsec. (e)(1) re appointment of conservator with specific authority and added Subdiv. (2) re authority of conservator to consent to medication, added Subsec. (f)(2) re duration of order authorizing administration of medication, deleted former Subsec. (g) re duration of medication order and hearing, relettering former Subsecs. (h) and (i) accordingly, amended redesignated Subdiv. (h) by changing age of “voluntary patient” from 18 to 16 years of age and added Subsecs. (i) and (j) re treatment by prayer alone unless serious risk of harm to patient or others and re regulations (Revisor's note: P.A. 95-257 authorized substitution of “Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services” for “Department of Mental Health” in public and special acts of the 1996 session of the General Assembly); June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-8 combined the former Subsec. (j) with Subsec. (i) limiting the regulations requirement to (i) re religious beliefs, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 02-105 added Subsec. (b)(3) allowing informed consent by a person designated by the patient pursuant to Sec. 1-56r and redesignating existing Subdiv. (3) as Subdiv. (4); P.A. 03-31 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “other reasonable alternative procedure” with “other, less intrusive beneficial treatment” and adding provision re order of Court of Probate authorizing shock therapy to be effective for not more than 45 days; P.A. 04-160 added reference to Sec. 17a-543a in Subsec. (a) and made technical changes in Subsecs. (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) and (i); P.A. 06-195 amended Subsec. (b) by adding new Subdiv. (1) authorizing patient's health care representative to provide written informed consent for medical or surgical procedures and renumbering existing Subdivs. (1) to (4) as Subdivs. (2) to (5), respectively; P.A. 07-117 inserted Subpara. (A) and (B) designators in Subsec. (e)(1), inserted in Subsecs. (e)(1)(A) and (f)(1) provisions re findings by clear and convincing evidence, and made technical changes throughout.
Annotation to former section 17-206d:
Cited. 17 CA 130.
Annotations to present section:
Cited. 233 C. 44.
Cited. 44 CS 53.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes