Cases of Note

California Governor Gavin Newsom signs bills into laws. California Assembly Bill 48 or Nursing Facility Resident Informed Consent Protection Act of 2023 was recently signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. Among the changes made by this law is the resident shall have the right to be free from 'psychotherapeutic' drugs used for the purpose of resident discipline or convenience. It also provides for informed consent for a class of drugs called psychotropics and soft restraints. What does this mean for the 97,749 California nursing home residents it is meant to protect? What are psychotherapeutic medications? Psychotherapeutic means relating to psychotherapy. Psychotherapy is an approach for treating mental health issues by talking with a mental health provider. Psychotropic drug, is what must have been meant in the overall language of the law. A psychotropic drug is a chemical substance that changes the function of the nervous system and results in alterations of perception, m