New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 16 - OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING
Chapter 21 - PODIATRISTS
Part 9 - MANAGEMENT OF PAIN WITH CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES
Section 16.21.9.7 - DEFINITIONS

A. "Addiction" is a neurobehavioral syndrome with genetic and environmental influences that results in psychological dependence on the use of substances for their psychic effects. It is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control over drug use; compulsive use; continued use despite harm; and, craving. Physical dependence and tolerance are normal physiological consequences of extended opioid therapy for pain and should not by themselves be considered addiction.

B. "Acute pain" means the normal, predicted physiological response to a noxious chemical or thermal or mechanical stimulus, typically associated with invasive procedures, trauma or disease and is generally time-limited.

C. "Chronic pain" means pain that persists after reasonable medical efforts have been made to relieve the pain or its cause and that continues, either continuously or episodically, for longer than three consecutive months. "Chronic pain" does not, for purpose of the Pain Relief Act requirements, include pain associated with a terminal condition or with a progressive disease that, in the normal course of progression, may reasonably be expected to result in a terminal condition.

D. "Clinical expert" means a person who, by reason of specialized education or substantial relevant experience in pain management, has knowledge regarding current standards, practices and guidelines.

E. "Drug abuser" means a person who takes a drug or drugs for other than legitimate medical purposes.

F. "Pain" means acute or chronic pain or both.

G. "Physical dependence" means a state of adaptation that is manifested by a drug-specific withdrawal syndrome that can be produced by abrupt cessation, rapid dose reduction, decreasing blood level of the drug, administration of an antagonist, or a combination of these.

H. "Prescription monitoring program" means a centralized system to collect, monitor, and analyze electronically, for controlled substances, prescribing and dispensing data submitted by pharmacies and dispensing practitioners. The data are used to support efforts in education, research, enforcement and abuse prevention.

I. "Therapeutic purpose" means the use of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical medical treatment that conforms substantially to accepted guidelines for pain management.

J. "Tolerance" means a state of adaptation in which exposure to a drug induces changes that result in a diminution of one or more of the drug's effects over time.