REPRESENTATIVE TURNER ANNOUNCES RELIEF FOR LYME DISEASE PATIENTS

Representative Turner (D-Dennis) is pleased to announce a new state law that grants physicians the right to treat chronic Lyme disease patients with long term antibiotics. Treatment of Lyme disease has been a serious issue for Cape and Island residents for many years.

Incorporated within the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget, the new law contains text from a bill filed by Representative Turner and Representative Daniel Webster (R-Pembroke) in the 2007-2008 legislative session. The legislation was filed this term by Robert Hargraves (R-Groton) and co-sponsored by Rep. Turner. As members of the Joint Committee on Public Health, Reps. Hargraves and Turner diligently lobbied together for passage of the bill during the legislative session.

“Smaller doses of antibiotics work well when Lyme disease is detected in the early stages, but longer treatments prove to be the best solution when dealing with intractable cases of Lyme. Therefore, it is necessary to grant licensed physicians the right to prescribe, administer, or dispense long-term antibiotic therapy to eliminate infection or to control a patient’s symptoms of Lyme disease,” said Representative Turner.

The difficulty in getting the legislation passed was the result of some in the medical field doubting both the existence of chronic Lyme and that long term antibiotic treatments are effective.

“This is another example of my willingness and ability to work with Republicans on important issues for my district and the Commonwealth,” Turner said.