New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 8 - SOCIAL SERVICES
Chapter 321 - SPECIALIZED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES
Part 10 - OPIOID TREATMENT PROGRAMS
Section 8.321.10.7 - DEFINITIONS

A. "Accrediting bodies" means nationally recognized organizations, such as the joint commission on accreditation of healthcare organizations (JCAHO) and the commission on accreditation of rehabilitation facilities (CARF), which promulgate standards for OTPs that are approved by the substance abuse and mental health services administration/center for substance abuse treatment (SAMHSA/CSAT), and offer accreditation to programs that meet these standards.

B. "Administrative withdrawal" means the procedure for withdrawal of a patient's opioid treatment medication coinciding with the patient's involuntary discharge from opioid treatment, typically resulting from non-payment of fees, violent or disruptive behavior or incarceration or other confinement.

C. "Application form" means the form created by the health care authority, which must be completed by a program sponsor who wishes to obtain approval to operate an opioid treatment program.

D. "Approval" and "approval to operate" means the written permission given by the health care authority to a program sponsor to operate an opioid treatment program.

E. "Behavioral health services division" (BHSD) is the division of the New Mexico health care authority that is the single state authority for mental health and substance use treatment and prevention programs and methadone authority.

F. "Comprehensive initial assessment" means the collection and analysis of a patient's social, medical, psychological and treatment history.

G. "Comprehensive maintenance treatment" means a program designed with the intention of lasting longer than six months, for the purpose of maintaining the patient such that they will be free of opioid withdrawal and cravings; such programs are typified by:

H. "Dispense" has the same meaning as in Subsection I of Section 61-11-2 NMSA 1978 as amended or renumbered.

I. "Diversion" means the unauthorized transfer of an opioid agonist treatment medication, such as a street sale.

J. "Dosage" means the amount, frequency and number of doses of medication for an individual.

K. "Dose" means a single unit of opioid treatment medication.

L. "Illicit opioid drug" means an illegally obtained opioid drug, such as heroin, that causes dependence and reduces or destroys an individual's physical, social, occupational, or educational functioning, or misuse of legally prescribed medication.

M. "Intake screening" means determining whether an individual meets the initial criteria for receiving opioid treatment.

N. "Long-term opioid treatment withdrawal procedure" means a treatment program designed to dispense opioid treatment medication to a patient in decreasing doses, after first possibly achieving a stable dose, for a period of more than 30 days but less than 180 days as a method of bringing the individual to a drug-free state.

O. "Medical practitioner" means an individual who:

P. "Opioid treatment" means:

Q. "Opioid treatment medication" means a prescription medication that is approved by the U.S. food and drug administration under 21 U.S.C. section 355 and by the code of federal regulations title 42, part 8.12 for use in the treatment of opiate addiction.

R. "Opioid treatment program" (OTP) means a single location at which opioid dependence treatment medication, such as methadone and rehabilitative services, are provided to patients as a substantial part of the activity conducted on the premises.

S. "Opioid treatment withdrawal procedure" is dispensing or administering an opioid dependence treatment medication in decreasing medication levels to an individual to alleviate adverse physical or psychological effects of withdrawal from the continuous or sustained use of an opioid drug and as a method of bringing the individual to a drug-free state.

T. "Physiologically dependent" means physically addicted to an opioid drug, as manifested by the symptoms of withdrawal in the absence of the opioid drug.

U. "Program clinician" means a behavioral health clinician practicing at an opioid treatment program who is licensed to practice substance abuse treatment in New Mexico

V. "Program medical director" means a physician licensed to practice medicine in New Mexico, who assumes responsibility for administering all medical services, either by performing them directly or by delegating specific responsibility to authorized program medical practitioners functioning under the medical director's direct supervision.

W. "Program sponsor" means the person named in the application as responsible for the operation of the opioid treatment program and who assumes responsibility directly, by personal oversight, or through policy and procedure, or a combination of both, for the acts and omissions of staff members or employees of the opioid treatment program.

X. "Short-term opioid treatment withdrawal procedure" means a treatment program designed to dispense opioid treatment medication to a patient in decreasing doses, over a continuous period of 30 days or less, as a method of bringing the individual to a drug-free state.

Y. "State methadone authority," (SMA) means the single state agency for substance abuse designated by the governor or another appropriate official designated by the governor to exercise authority within the state for governing treatment of opiate addiction with an opioid drug. In New Mexico it is the health care authority, behavioral health services division.

Z. "Take-home medication" means one or more doses of an opioid treatment medication dispensed to a patient for use off the premises.