10-146 C.M.R. ch. 15, § 4 - Reporting And Record Retention

A. Reporting

1. Reporting must be in the manner prescribed by the Department, using the forms specified in this rule. Copies of the forms may be accessed at the Department's Data Research and Vital Statistics website at http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/public-health-systems/data-research/vital-records/forms/index.shtml, or by request to the State Registrar.

2. Copies of completed forms must be sent via postal mail to the following address or submitted to the State Registrar electronically by encrypted email. Fax filing of reports is not accepted under this rule.

DHHS -Office of Data, Research, and Vital Statistics

Attn: State Registrar

11 State House Station

220 Capitol Street

Augusta, Maine 04333-0011

3. All forms must be completed in accordance with the Act and this rule. Unless otherwise specified, all forms must be submitted to the State Registrar no later than 30 days after the date the prescription for life-ending medication is written. The Department will contact the qualified patient's attending physician when it appears that any required form has not been filed.

4. The Department will collect information from attending physicians who have prescribed or dispensed life-ending medication to ensure compliance with the Act and this rule, and for use in assembling an annual statistical report as required by the Act. Required information will include any information requested on the forms prescribed by the Department and specified in this rule. Additionally, the Department may request from an attending physician any other information reasonably necessary to determine compliance with the Act and this rule.

B. Record Retention.

1. The attending physician prescribing or dispensing life-ending medication to a qualified patient must retain the original of each required form in the patient's medical record.

2. Paper forms submitted to the State Registrar will be retained by the Department to inform the annual report and may be destroyed only after the Department publishes the yearly report required by the Act.

C. Confidentiality. Except as otherwise provided by law, information collected by the Department pursuant to this rule is confidential, is not a public record, and may not be made available for inspection by the public.

Notes

10-146 C.M.R. ch. 15, § 4