§329-40 Methadone treatment programs. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, methadone may be administered or dispensed or both as part of a state-registered and federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration approved methadone treatment program by a practitioner who is licensed and registered under state and federal law to administer and dispense methadone for patients or by an agent of the practitioner, supervised by and under the order of the practitioner. The agent must be a pharmacist, registered nurse, or licensed practical nurse. The licensed practitioner shall be responsible for the amounts of methadone administered or dispensed in accordance with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration regulations and shall record, approve, and countersign all changes in dosage schedules.
(b) Registration of a methadone treatment program requires that:
The term "methadone treatment program" as used in this section means an organization or a person (including a private physician) that administers or dispenses methadone to a narcotic-dependent person for maintenance or detoxification treatment and who provides the medical and rehabilitative services required by Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations Part 291 or Title 42 Code of Federal Regulations Part 8 and is approved to do so by the State and by the United States Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and who holds a controlled substance registration as required by this chapter and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to use methadone for the treatment of narcotic-dependent persons.
The term "narcotic-dependent person" as used in this section means an individual who physiologically needs heroin or a morphine-like drug to prevent the onset of signs of withdrawal.
The term "state authority" as used in this section means the agency within the State which exercises the responsibility for governing the treatment of narcotic-dependent persons with the narcotic drug methadone. [L 1990, c 46, §1; am L 1991, c 159, §13; am L 2002, c 165, §4]