Koering bill would protect physicians who treat Lyme disease

Sen. Paul Koering, R-Fort Ripley, has authored a bill that would protect physicians from disciplinary action by the state Board of Medical Practice for treating people with Lyme disease with long-term antibiotics.

Debate was heard on the bill and it was referred back to committee.

Koering said physicians are willing to prescribe long-term antibiotic treatment for specific patients who have gone through the standard treatment but they are reluctant to go outside the board's guidelines for treating the disease.

The State Board of Medical Practice and the Infectious Disease Society of America do not sanction treating Lyme disease patients with long-term antibiotics because they cite no scientific evidence has demonstrated that treatment cures Lyme disease.

Koering said he's taking the side of the patient in this controversy.

"If a person is not receiving relief from the symptoms of their disease under the medical board's accepted course of treatment then I believe they and their doctor should be able to make the decision to go down this road ... if that's what the patient wants," Koering said in a statement.