New Mexico Administrative Code › Title 16 - OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING › Chapter 24 - SHELTERING PROVIDERS › Part 3 - DUTIES OF LICENSEES AND CERTIFICATE HOLDERS › Section 16.24.3.8 - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSED EUTHANASIA TECHNICIANS AND AGENCIES

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 13, July 16, 2024
A. Euthanasia shall
				be performed by a licensed euthanasia technician employed or under contract
				with a licensed euthanasia agency, by a licensed veterinarian, or in the case
				of emergency field euthanasia, may be performed by a commissioned law
				enforcement officer by means of gunshot.
B. Euthanasia technicians shall scan all
				companion animals for a microchip and look for a license or other
				identification tag directly prior to performing euthanasia. Every microchip,
				license or identification tag located shall be recorded. If a microchip,
				license or identification tag is found at the time of euthanasia, the licensed
				euthanasia technician shall verify that all reasonable attempts to contact the
				owner have been made and only after verification may the euthanasia proceed. If
				the verification is not possible, then the euthanasia shall be postponed until
				verification is completed, except in situations in which the animal is in
				severe, acute distress or is irremediably suffering.
C. Euthanasia technicians shall euthanize
				dogs and cats only by the use of an FDA approved sodium pentobarbital
				euthanasia solution, or any other board approved euthanasia solutions, with the
				exception of emergency field euthanasia as provided for in
				16.24.3.15
				NMAC.
D. Euthanasia agencies using
				controlled substances shall have under contract a consulting pharmacist as
				defined in the New Mexico Pharmacy Act.
E. Euthanasia agencies shall be inspected at
				least every other calendar year.
F.
				Euthanasia technicians shall euthanize all other non-livestock animals in
				accordance with Section
				61-11-1
				Pharmacy Act. et. seq. NMSA 1978 and the applicable methods, recommendations
				and procedures set forth in
				16.24.3.9
				NMAC and
				16.24.3.12
				through
				16.24.3.15
				NMAC.
G. Euthanasia technicians and
				euthanasia agencies shall maintain storage, security, recordkeeping and
				disposal methods of controlled substances used for euthanasia as set forth in
				the board approved euthanasia technician training courses in accordance with
				the New Mexico pharmacy board and DEA regulations. Euthanasia technicians and
				euthanasia agencies shall adhere to all existing state and federal laws and
				protocols.
H. Euthanasia agencies
				shall display material safety data sheets for all drugs used in the euthanasia
				process in the euthanasia area or shall make such material available and
				accessible to all employees on the premises.
I. Euthanasia technicians may use a sedative
				or anesthetic as set forth in the board approved euthanasia technician training
				courses.
J. Euthanasia technicians
				and their assistants shall handle animals humanely as detailed in board
				approved euthanasia instruction from the commencement of and throughout the
				euthanasia process. Remains shall be disposed of promptly in compliance with
				local ordinance.
K. A euthanasia
				agency shall handle, treat and dispose of infectious waste, including but not
				limited to remains, anatomical body parts, excretions, blood soiled articles
				and bedding, that are generated from an animal that the agency knows or has
				reason to suspect has a disease that is capable of being transmitted to humans
				as follows.
(1) All infectious waste will be
				sterilized or disinfected by heat, steam, chemical disinfection, radiation, or
				desiccation.
(2) Infectious waste
				held for disposal shall be collected in sanitary leak resistant bags clearly
				labeled for biohazard disposal. The bag shall contain the gloves worn while
				collecting the waste and those used in treatment and post mortem examinations
				of suspect animals.
(3) All sharps
				shall be disposed of in labeled sharps containers. Such containers shall be
				rigid-sided, solidly sealed containers that are highly resistant to puncture.
				These containers shall be incinerated or disposed of in an environmentally safe
				manner by a duly licensed disposer or an approved medical sharps incineration
				facility or shall be disposed of in such a way as to render the sharps
				harmless. This disposal shall not apply to infectious waste sharps, which,
				contained in a puncture resistant container, should be disposed of as described
				in infectious waste disposal. Due to the small volume of sharps generated in a
				euthanasia agency, transportation of the filled, sealed containers shall not be
				mandated by nor limited to commercial haulers.