SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Adriane Johnson advocated for patient privacy at a press conference Thursday, outlining legislation that would remove hormonal medications such as testosterone and estrogen from the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program.
“Privacy in health care is not optional—it’s a fundamental right that safeguards dignity, autonomy and personal safety,” said Johnson (D-Buffalo Grove). “When we protect medical information, we protect the well-being of every patient.”
Intended to prevent patients from going from one doctor to another to get multiple prescriptions for powerful and addictive pain medications, the Illinois Prescription Monitoring System collects controlled substance prescription records from pharmacies. The data is provided to authorized individuals for the purpose of clinical care, regulation of professional practice, research and evaluation and law enforcement.
Testosterone was made a controlled substance in the 1990s to regulate the distribution of the hormone to prevent its misuse by athletes. Johnson’s measure would purge the program of existing information concerning the prescribing or dispensing of testosterone on or before Jan. 1, 2027 and would ensure no further records would be created or maintained.
Removing testosterone from the Prescription Monitoring Program would not remove the medication from patient charts; it would only ensure that the state does not catalogue and store the patient’s prescription.
“Tracking individuals for seeking hormone replacement therapy undermines both medical confidentiality and personal freedom,” Johnson said. “Everyone deserves the ability to make informed healthcare choices without unnecessary intrusion.”
House Bill 4834 awaits further consideration from the Senate.
