Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 216 - Department of health › Chapter 20 - Community Health › Subchapter 20 - Drugs › Part 5 - Opioid Overdose Prevention and Reporting › Section 216-RICR-20-20-5.2 - Definitions

Current through June 14, 2024
A. Wherever used in these Regulations, the
				  following terms shall be construed as follows:
1. "BHDDH" means the Rhode Island Department
				  of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals.
2. "Department" means the Rhode Island
				  Department of Health.
3. "Director"
				  means the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health.
4. "Healthcare professional" means a
				  physician, physician assistant, or an advanced practice registered nurse
				  licensed in Rhode Island, who is authorized to prescribe drugs or any
				  pharmacists licensed in Rhode Island authorized to dispense drugs.
5. "Opioid" means any synthetic or natural
				  opiate listed in R.I. Gen. Laws §
											21-28-2.08.
6. "Opioid antagonist" means a drug used to
				  reverse the effects of opioids, such a naloxone hydrochloride, commonly
				  referred to as naloxone or by the brand name Narcan, which is a competitive
				  antagonist that binds to opioid receptors with higher affinity than agonists
				  but does not activate the receptors. For the purposes of this Part, opioid
				  antagonist does not include any drugs, such as naltrexone hydrochloride, used
				  for addiction treatment.
7.
				  "Opioid-related drug overdose" means, as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws §
				  1621-35, a condition including, but not limited to, extreme physical illness,
				  decreased level of consciousness, respiratory depression, coma, or death
				  resulting from the consumption or use of an opioid, or another substance with
				  which an opioid was combined, or that a layperson would reasonably believe to
				  be an opioid-related drug overdose that requires medical assistance. This would
				  include any condition for which there is a clinical suspicion for an
				  opioid-related drug overdose (respiratory depression, unconsciousness, altered
				  mental status) and/or for which there is either a urine toxicology screen
				  positive for opioids or negative urine toxicology screen without other
				  conditions to explain the clinical condition.
8. "Patient" means a person who has
				  experienced or is experiencing or is at risk of experiencing an opioid-related
				  drug overdose.
9. "Patient
				  information" includes but is not limited to information provided to the patient
				  on:
a. Drug overdose prevention and
				  recognition;
b. How to perform
				  rescue breathing and resuscitation;
c. Opioid antidote dosage and
				  administration;
d. The importance
				  of calling 911;
e. Care for the
				  overdose victim after administration of the overdose antidote; and
f. Other issues as necessary.
10. "Person at risk of
				  experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose" includes but is not limited to a
				  person for whom one (1) or more of the following applies:
a. Has ever received emergency medical care
				  involving opioid intoxication or opioid-related drug overdose;
b. Has a suspected history of substance use
				  or use disorder or non medical opioid use, including a history of treatment or
				  a referral for treatment;
c. Is
				  prescribed methadone or buprenorphine;
d. Is receiving an opioid prescription for
				  pain and one (1) or more of the following applies:
(1) Is given a higher dose of opioids
				  (greater than fifty (50) mg morphine equivalent per day);
(2) Has rotated from one opioid to another
				  because of possible incomplete cross tolerance;
(3) Has concurrent smoking, COPD, emphysema,
				  asthma, sleep apnea, respiratory infection, or other respiratory illness or
				  potential obstruction;
(4) Has
				  pre-existing renal dysfunction, hepatic disease, cardiac illness,
				  HIV/AIDS;
(5) Has known or
				  suspected concurrent alcohol or cocaine use;
(6) Has concurrent use of a benzodiazepine or
				  other sedative prescription or who has a history of illicit benzodiazepine
				  use;
(7) Is concurrently taking a
				  prescription antidepressant.
e. May have difficulty accessing emergency
				  medical services.