Sexually transmitted disease: testing

Existing law authorizes a health care provider who diagnoses an STD to provide prescription antibiotic drugs to that patient’s sexual partner or partners without examination of that patient’s partner or partners. This bill would name the above practice “expedited partner therapy.” The bill would require a health care provider to include “expedited partner therapy” or “EPT” on a prescription if the practitioner is unable to obtain the name of a patient’s sexual partner, and would authorize a pharmacist to dispense an expedited partner therapy prescription and label the drug without an individual’s name if the prescription includes “expedited partner therapy” or “EPT.”