Title 70 — Title 70 PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY

(1) The advisory council shall create a pamphlet to be provided to the parents of a child in the state who is diagnosed with hearing loss by their child's pediatrician or audiologist, as appropriate, upon diagnosis of hearing loss. The pamphlet shall contain, at minimum, informat…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6087-S.SL) ***Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.(1) "Distributing organization" means a charitable nonprofit organization under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c) of the federal internal rev…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 6087-S.SL) ***Donors and distributing organizations are not liable for civil damages or criminal penalties resulting from the nature, age, condition, or packaging of the donated children's items unless a donor or distributing organization acts with gro…

Nothing in this chapter may be construed to create any liability of, or penalty against a donor or distributing organization except as provided in RCW 70.200.020.[ 1994 c 25 s 3.]

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Controlled substance" has the meaning provided in RCW 69.50.101.(2) "Department" means the department of health.(3) "Patient" means the person or animal who is the ult…

(1) The department shall establish and maintain a prescription monitoring program to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of all Schedules II, III, IV, and V controlled substances and any additional drugs identified by the pharmacy quality assurance commission as demonstrating …

The department shall adopt rules to implement this chapter.[ 2007 c 259 s 47.]

To the extent that funding is provided for such purpose through federal or private grants, or is appropriated by the legislature, the health care authority shall study the feasibility of enhancing the prescription monitoring program established in RCW 70.225.020 in order to impro…

(1) All information submitted to the prescription monitoring program is confidential, exempt from public inspection, copying, and disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW, not subject to subpoena or discovery in any civil action, and protected under federal health care information priv…

Beginning November 15, 2017, the department shall annually report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature on the number of facilities, entities, or provider groups identified in *RCW 70.225.040(3) (l) and (m) that have integrated their federally certifie…

The department may contract with another agency of this state or with a private vendor, as necessary, to ensure the effective operation of the prescription monitoring program. Any contractor is bound to comply with the provisions regarding confidentiality of prescription informat…

(1) A dispenser who knowingly fails to submit prescription monitoring information to the department as required by this chapter or knowingly submits incorrect prescription information is subject to disciplinary action under chapter 18.130 RCW.(2) A person authorized to have presc…

(1) Test sites that may receive access to data in the prescription monitoring program under RCW 70.225.040 must be:(a) Licensed by the department as a test site under chapter 70.42 RCW; and(b) Certified as a drug testing laboratory by the United States department of health and hu…

(1) Access to data in the qualifying laboratory must be under the supervision of the responsible person as designated by the United States department of health and human services, substance abuse and mental health services administration certification program.(2) Such data cannot…

(1) In order to expand integration of prescription monitoring program data into certified electronic health record technologies, the department must collaborate with health professional and facility associations, vendors, and others to:(a) Conduct an assessment of the current sta…

See note following RCW 7.70.060.

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Ambulatory surgical facility" means any distinct entity that operates for the primary purpose of providing specialty or multispecialty outpatient surgical services in …

The secretary shall:(1) Issue a license to any ambulatory surgical facility that:(a) Submits payment of the fee established in RCW 43.70.110 and 43.70.250;(b) Submits a completed application that demonstrates the ability to comply with the standards established for operating and …

Except as provided in RCW 70.230.040, after June 30, 2009, no person or governmental unit of the state of Washington, acting separately or jointly with any other person or governmental unit, shall establish, maintain, or conduct an ambulatory surgical facility in this state or ad…

Nothing in this chapter:(1) Applies to an ambulatory surgical facility that is maintained and operated by a hospital licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW;(2) Applies to an office maintained for the practice of dentistry;(3) Applies to outpatient specialty or multispecialty surgical s…

(1) An applicant for a license to operate an ambulatory surgical facility must demonstrate the ability to comply with the standards established for operating and maintaining an ambulatory surgical facility in statute and rule, including:(a) Submitting a written application to the…

An ambulatory surgical facility shall have a facility safety and emergency training program. The program shall include:(1) On-site equipment, medication, and trained personnel to facilitate handling of services sought or provided and to facilitate the management of any medical em…

(1) The department is authorized to take any of the actions identified in this section against an ambulatory surgical facility's license or provisional license in any case in which it finds that there has been a failure or refusal to comply with the requirements of this chapter o…

(1) Every ambulatory surgical facility shall maintain a coordinated quality improvement program for the improvement of the quality of health care services rendered to patients and the identification and prevention of medical malpractice. The program shall include at least the fol…

The department shall establish and adopt such minimum standards and rules pertaining to the construction, maintenance, and operation of ambulatory surgical facilities and rescind, amend, or modify such rules, as are necessary in the public interest, and particularly for the estab…

(1) The department shall make or cause to be made a survey of all ambulatory surgical facilities according to the following frequency:(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, an ambulatory surgical facility must be surveyed by the department no more than once every eight…

The department shall require ambulatory surgical facilities to submit data related to the quality of patient care for review by the department. The data shall be submitted every eighteen months. The department shall consider the reporting standards of other public and private org…

(1) The chief administrator or executive officer of an ambulatory surgical facility shall report to the department when the practice of a health care provider licensed by a disciplining authority under RCW 18.130.040 is restricted, suspended, limited, or terminated based upon a c…

Each ambulatory surgical facility shall keep written records of decisions to restrict or terminate privileges of practitioners. Copies of such records shall be made available to the Washington medical commission, the board of osteopathic medicine and surgery, or the podiatric med…

(1) Prior to granting or renewing clinical privileges or association of any practitioner or hiring a practitioner, an ambulatory surgical facility approved pursuant to this chapter shall request from the practitioner and the practitioner shall provide the following information:(a…

Ambulatory surgical facilities shall have in place policies to assure that, when appropriate, information about unanticipated outcomes is provided to patients or their families or any surrogate decision makers identified pursuant to RCW 7.70.065. Notifications of unanticipated ou…

Every ambulatory surgical facility shall post in conspicuous locations a notice of the department's ambulatory surgical facility complaint toll-free telephone number. The form of the notice shall be approved by the department.[ 2007 c 273 s 17.]

Information received by the department through filed reports, inspection, or as otherwise authorized under this chapter may be disclosed publicly, as permitted under chapter 42.56 RCW, subject to the following provisions:(1) Licensing inspections, or complaint investigations rega…

Any entity that meets the definition of an ambulatory surgical facility in RCW 70.230.010 that had been issued a license on or after July 1, 2009, that was later declared void by a department determination that the entity did not meet the definition of an ambulatory surgical faci…

(1) The department may give written notice to cease and desist to any person whom the department has reason to believe is engaged in the unlicensed operation of an ambulatory surgical facility.(2)(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the requirement to cease and desis…

If the insurance commissioner reports to the department that he or she has cause to believe that an ambulatory surgical facility has engaged in a pattern of violations of RCW 48.49.020 or 48.49.030 or has violated RCW 48.43.732, and the report is substantiated after investigation…

(1) Beginning September 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, individuals that hold a multistate nurse license issued by a state other than Washington and are employed by ambulatory surgical facilities licensed under this chapter shall complete any demographic data surveys required b…

Except for section 7 of this act, this act takes effect July 1, 2009.[ 2007 c 273 s 29.]

The secretary of health may take the necessary steps to ensure that this act is implemented on its effective date.[ 2007 c 273 s 30.]

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Adult" means an individual who is 18 years of age or older.(2) "Attending qualified medical provider" means the qualified medical provider who has primary responsibili…

(1) An adult patient who is competent, is a resident of Washington state, and has been determined by the attending qualified medical provider to be suffering from a terminal disease, and who has voluntarily expressed his or her wish to die, may make a written request for medicati…

(1) A valid request for medication under this chapter shall be in substantially the form described in RCW 70.245.220, signed and dated by the patient and witnessed by at least two individuals who, in the presence of the patient, attest that to the best of their knowledge and beli…

(1) The attending qualified medical provider shall:(a) Make the determination of whether a patient has a terminal disease, is competent, and has made the request voluntarily;(b) Request that the patient demonstrate Washington state residency under RCW 70.245.130;(c) To ensure tha…

Before a patient is qualified under this chapter, a consulting qualified medical provider shall examine the patient and his or her relevant medical records and confirm, in writing, the attending qualified medical provider's diagnosis that the patient is suffering from a terminal …

If, in the opinion of either the attending qualified medical provider or the consulting qualified medical provider, a patient may be suffering from a psychiatric or psychological disorder or depression causing impaired judgment, the qualified medical provider shall refer the pati…

A person shall not receive a prescription for medication to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner unless he or she has made an informed decision. Immediately before writing a prescription for medication under this chapter, the attending qualified medical provider s…

The attending qualified medical provider shall recommend that the patient notify the next of kin of his or her request for medication under this chapter. A patient who declines or is unable to notify next of kin shall not have his or her request denied for that reason.[ 2023 c 38…

(1) To receive a prescription for medication that the qualified patient may self-administer to end his or her life in a humane and dignified manner, a qualified patient shall have made an oral request and a written request, and reiterate the oral request to his or her attending q…

A patient may rescind his or her request at any time and in any manner without regard to his or her mental state. No prescription for medication under this chapter may be written without the attending qualified medical provider offering the qualified patient an opportunity to res…

At least seven days shall elapse between the patient's initial oral request and the writing of a prescription under this chapter.[ 2023 c 38 s 12; 2009 c 1 s 11 (Initiative Measure No. 1000, approved November 4, 2008).]