Washington Administrative Code
Title 246 - Health, Department of
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND LICENSING
Chapter 246-853 - Osteopathic physicians and surgeons
Section 246-853-300 - Definitions used relative to monitoring of an applicable impairing health condition

(1) "Aftercare" means that period of time after intensive treatment that provides the osteopathic physician and the osteopathic physician's family with group, or individualized counseling sessions, discussions with other families, ongoing contact and participation in self-help groups, and ongoing continued support of treatment program staff.

(2) "Contract" is a comprehensive, structured agreement between the recovering osteopathic physician and the monitoring program wherein the osteopathic physician consents to comply with the monitoring program and the required components for the osteopathic physician's recovery activity.

(3) "Drug" means a chemical substance alone or in combination, including alcohol.

(4) "Impairing health condition" means a mental or physical health condition that impairs or potentially impairs the osteopathic physician's ability to practice with reasonable skill and safety which may include a substance use disorder characterized by the inappropriate use of either alcohol or other drugs, or both to a degree that it interferes in the functional life of the licensee, as manifested by health, family, job (professional services), legal, financial, or emotional problems.

(5) "Monitoring program" means an approved voluntary substance use disorder monitoring program or physician health monitoring program that the board has determined meets the requirements of the law and rules established by the board, according to the Washington Administrative Code, which enters into a contract with osteopathic physicians who have an impairing health condition. The substance monitoring program oversees compliance of the osteopathic physician's recovery activities as required by the board. Monitoring programs may provide either evaluation or treatment, or both to participating osteopathic physicians.

(6) "Osteopathic physician support group" is a group of either osteopathic physicians or other health care professionals, or both meeting regularly to support the recovery of its members. The group provides a confidential setting with a trained and experienced facilitator in which participants may safely discuss drug diversion, licensure issues, return to work, and other professional issues related to recovery.

(7) "Random drug screens" are laboratory tests to detect the presence of drugs of use disorder in body fluids which are performed at irregular intervals not known in advance by the person to be tested. The collection of the body fluids must be observed by a treatment or health care professional or other board or monitoring program-approved observer.

(8) "Recovering" means that an osteopathic physician with an impairing health condition is in compliance with a treatment plan of rehabilitation in accordance with criteria established by the monitoring program.

(9) "Rehabilitation" means the process of restoring an osteopathic physician to a level of professional performance consistent with public health and safety.

(10) "Treatment facility" is a facility approved by the bureau of alcohol and substance abuse, department of social and health services as specified in RCW 18.130.175.

(11) "Twelve-step groups" are groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and related organizations based on a philosophy of anonymity, belief in a power greater than oneself, peer group association, and self-help.