Connecticut Administrative Code › Title 17a - Social and Human Services and Resources › 210 - Administration of Medications: Residential Facilities, Respite Centers, Day Programs, Community Training Homes, and Individual and Family Supports › Section 17a-210-1 - Definitions

Current through July 10, 2024
As used in section 17a-210-1 to section
				17a-210-10,
				inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies:
(a) "Administration" means the direct
			 application of a medication by inhalation, ingestion or any other means to the
			 body of a person, other than by injection.
(b) "Authorized licensed practical nurse"
			 means a licensed practical nurse who has successfully completed the
			 department's authorization program and may be delegated responsibility to
			 participate in certain aspects of the medication administration certification
			 process.
(c) "Certified
			 non-licensed personnel" means any person who has successfully completed a
			 training program approved by the department pursuant to section
			 17a-210-3
			 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies and who has been issued a
			 certificate authorizing him to be delegated the responsibilities to administer
			 medication to consumers in specific programs operated and licensed by the
			 department.
(d) "Certificate" means
			 written authorization issued by the commissioner that establishes the
			 competency of a person to receive further specific training and be delegated
			 the responsibility to administer medications by a registered nurse in
			 accordance with sections 17a-210-1 to
			 17a-210-10,
			 inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies.
(e) "Consumer" means any person receiving
			 services from or funded by the department.
(f) "Community training home" means a private
			 family home licensed by the department to provide residential supports and
			 services pursuant to section
			 17a-227
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(g) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of
			 Developmental Services or his designated representative.
(h) "Controlled medication" means controlled
			 substances, Schedules II-V, as defined in section
			 21a-240
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes and regulations adopted pursuant to section
			 21a-243
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(i) "Day program" means the following
			 programs operated or funded by the department: supported employment, sheltered
			 employment, day support options and similar day programs funded by the
			 department which are site-based or provided to a group of consumers.
(j) "Delegation" means the transfer of
			 responsibility for selected nursing tasks from the licensed nurse who is
			 responsible for the overall plan of care for the consumer to qualified
			 non-licensed personnel.
(k)
			 "Department" means the Department of Developmental Services.
(l) "Dwelling" means any building designed
			 for human habitation.
(m)
			 "Employee" means, solely for the purposes of sections 17a-210-1 to
			 17a-210-10,
			 inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, any individual
			 employed by a residential facility operated, licensed or funded by the
			 department; by a day program operated or funded by the department; or hired
			 directly by a provider, the consumer or the consumer's family or guardian with
			 department funding.
(n) "Endorsed
			 instructor" means a registered nurse who has successfully completed the
			 department's endorsed instructor training program and is granted endorsement by
			 the department to teach the approved curriculum.
(o) "Error" means failure to administer
			 medication to a consumer, failure to administer medication within one hour of
			 the time designated by the licensed prescriber or supervising nurse, failure to
			 administer the specific medication prescribed for a consumer, failure to
			 administer the correct dosage of medication, failure to administer the
			 medication by the correct route or failure to administer the medication
			 according to generally accepted standards of practice.
(p) "Individual and family support" means,
			 solely for the purposes of sections 17a-210-1 to
			 17a-210-10,
			 inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, the support
			 services provided or funded by the department through paid staff within a
			 consumer's home, or a consumer's family home, or specialized day services that
			 are self-directed. Such support services shall not include services provided in
			 residential settings licensed or operated by the department or within day
			 programs as defined in this section.
(q) "Individual plan" means the department's
			 document that guides the supports and services provided to a
			 consumer.
(r) "Investigational
			 drug" means any medication which is being scientifically tested and clinically
			 evaluated to determine its efficacy, safety and side effects, and which has not
			 yet received federal Food and Drug Administration approval.
(s) "Licensed personnel" means a physician
			 licensed under chapter 370 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a dentist
			 licensed under chapter 379 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a registered
			 nurse licensed under chapter 378 of the Connecticut General Statutes, an
			 advanced practice registered nurse licensed under chapter 378 of the
			 Connecticut General Statutes, a licensed practical nurse licensed under chapter
			 378 of the Connecticut General Statutes practicing under the direction of a
			 registered nurse or an advanced practice registered nurse, a physician's
			 assistant licensed under chapter 370 of the Connecticut General Statutes or a
			 pharmacist licensed under chapter 400j of the Connecticut General Statutes and
			 acting in accordance with section
			 19a-509d
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(t) "Licensed prescriber" means a physician
			 or other health care practitioner with applicable statutory authority to
			 prescribe medication.
(u)
			 "Medication" means any medicinal preparation including controlled medication as
			 defined in subsection (h) of this section and non-controlled medication as
			 defined in subsection (w) of this section.
(v) "Multiple doses" means the administration
			 of more than one single dose, as defined in subsection (gg) of this
			 section.
(w) "Non-controlled
			 medication" means those medicinal preparations that are available by
			 prescription or over-the-counter that are not included in Schedules II-V, as
			 defined in section
			 21a-240
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes and regulations adopted pursuant to section
			 21a-243
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
(x) "Original orders" means the written
			 instructions from the licensed prescriber that provide authorization and
			 direction regarding the administration of medication. The original orders shall
			 either (1) contain the original signature of the licensed prescriber, or (2) be
			 a direct facsimile transmission from the licensed prescriber, or (3) be an
			 order taken by a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse or a pharmacist
			 that is signed by the licensed prescriber not later than two weeks following
			 the date the order is taken.
(y)
			 "Prohibited practices" means an action or inaction that violates state or
			 federal statute or regulation, or generally accepted standards of
			 practice.
(z) "Provider" means a
			 private agency, organization or individual from whom a consumer, or a
			 consumer's family or guardian, purchases support services and from whom a
			 consumer receives these services.
(aa) "Residential facility" means any campus
			 or community-based dwelling, or respite center, funded or licensed by the
			 department pursuant to section
			 17a-227
			 of the Connecticut General Statutes as a residence for the lodging of consumers
			 excluding community training homes. A community-based dwelling, in which 16 or
			 more persons reside, may be included only upon the written approval of the
			 commissioner. Such approval shall be valid for an indefinite period subject to
			 such terms and conditions deemed necessary by the commissioner to protect the
			 health and safety of consumers. A dwelling that is not community-based in which
			 eight or fewer residents reside may be approved by the commissioner for an
			 indefinite period subject to such terms and conditions deemed necessary by the
			 commissioner to protect the health and safety of consumers.
(bb) "Regional director" means that person
			 appointed by the commissioner to be directly responsible for the management of
			 one of the three regions of the department.
(cc) "Regional director of health services"
			 means that person designated by the regional director to be directly
			 responsible for the quality of consumer health services in each of the three
			 regions of the department and quality assurance provisions of the regulations
			 concerning the administration of medication by certified non-licensed personnel
			 and trained non-licensed personnel.
(dd) "Revocation of certificate" means the
			 removal by the commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, of the medication
			 administration certification issued to certified non-licensed
			 personnel.
(ee)
			 "Self-administration of medication" means that a consumer is able to identify
			 the appropriate medication by size, color, amount, or other label
			 identification; knows independently, or with the prompting of an employee or
			 adaptive device, the frequency and time of day for which medication is ordered;
			 and takes responsibility for the administration of the medication as
			 prescribed.
(ff) "Serious
			 medication error" means any error made by trained non-licensed personnel that
			 requires a consumer to receive medical care at a physician's office, medical
			 facility or hospital; or that results in the injury or death of a
			 consumer.
(gg) "Single dose" means
			 one or more medications in the prescribed dosages that are scheduled to be
			 administered at the same time, on the same day at a location other than a
			 residential facility.
(hh)
			 "Supervisor" means an employee assigned by a residential facility, respite
			 center or day program to be directly responsible for the management of the
			 specific residential, respite or day program, including other persons employed
			 by such program.
(ii) "Supervising
			 nurse" means a registered nurse assigned by a residential facility, respite
			 center or day program to be directly responsible for the management of medical
			 services provided to the consumer in the specific residential, respite or day
			 program, including the delegation of the task of medication administration to
			 certified non-licensed personnel.
(jj) "Suspension of certificate" means the
			 temporary cessation by the commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, of the
			 medication administration certification issued to certified non-licensed
			 personnel.
(kk) " Suspend the
			 delegation" means the measure imposed by the delegating registered nurse to
			 protect the health and safety of the consumer following the identification of a
			 single significant error or multiple errors committed by a certified
			 non-licensed personnel. This measure means that certified non-licensed
			 personnel are not permitted to administer medication until corrective action or
			 sanction actions have been successfully completed and delegation
			 resumed.
(ll) "Trained non-licensed
			 personnel" means any person who:
(1) is a
			 department-funded, paid employee;
(2) is hired by a consumer, the family or
			 guardian of a consumer, or a provider, to provide individual and family support
			 services;
(3) has successfully
			 completed training required by the department, pursuant to section
			 17a-210-3
			 a of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies; and
(4) has been approved to administer
			 medication to consumers supported in their own home, family home or specialized
			 day services.