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

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
The definitions in this section apply throughout WAC
				  246-853-290 through 243-853-320 and 243-853-990 unless the context clearly
				  requires otherwise.
(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.
Statutory Authority:
					 RCW
					 18.57.005 and
					 18.130.175. 91-10-043 (Order
					 159B), § 246-853-300, filed 4/25/91, effective
					 5/26/91.