(a)  A licensed health care professional who administers, prescribes, or dispenses medications or procedures to relieve another person‘s pain or discomfort, even if the medication or procedure may hasten or increase the risk of death, does not violate the provision of this chapter unless the medications or procedures are knowingly administered, prescribed, or dispensed to cause death.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 11-60-4

  • Licensed health care professional: means a physician, surgeon, podiatrist, osteopath, osteopathic physician and surgeon, physician assistant, nurse, nurse anesthetist, dentist, or pharmacist licensed pursuant to title 5. See Rhode Island General Laws 11-60-2
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6

(b)  A licensed health care professional who withholds or withdraws a life-sustaining procedure in compliance with chapter 4.10 of Title 23 does not violate the provisions of this chapter.

History of Section.
P.L. 1996, ch. 181, § 1; P.L. 1996, ch. 183, § 1.