N.H. Admin. Code § He-A 304.25

Current through Register No. 2, January 9, 2025

Section He-A 304.25 - Take-Home Medications

(a) An OTP's staff shall approve take-home methadone/buprenorphine only for a client who meets the take-home criteria in accordance with 42 CFR Part 8.12(h) (4) (i) (2) .

(b) In addition to the criteria in (a) above, a client shall complete individual or group counseling specific to the safe transport and storage of take-home medication to prevent diversion, theft, or use by another person, each time the client is eligible for consideration of an additional unsupervised take-home dose.

(c) Prior to granting take-home privileges, and each time the client's progress is reviewed, the licensed practitioner shall document in the client's record that the criteria in (a) above have been met and that, in his or her judgment, the potential risk of diversion or misuse is outweighed by the rehabilitative benefits to be derived from decreasing the frequency of clinic attendance and the client's demonstrated overall responsibility in the handling of methadone/buprenorphine.

(d) A client for whom take-home methadone/buprenorphine is authorized may be provided with one day of extra medication if the client's regular pickup falls on a state holiday.

(e) For clients who demonstrate a need for a more flexible take-home methadone/buprenorphine schedule in order to enhance and extend their rehabilitative and community reintegration progress, an OTP may request of the department, approval to permit a client to follow a temporary take-home medication regimen.

(f) The department shall approve such requests in (e) above if it determines that:

(1) The client is unable to comply with the required treatment, counseling, and/or take-home schedule because of exceptional circumstances such as:

a. Illness;

b. Personal or family crisis;

c. Travel difficulties, such as bad weather; or

d. Other hardship that would similarly prevent the client's compliance;

(2) The licensed practitioner has found the client to be responsible in using methadone/buprenorphine as required in (c) above;

(3) The licensed practitioner has determined that a temporary reduction in clinic attendance is appropriate;

(4) The client is not given more than a 2-week supply of methadone/buprenorphine at one time;

(5) The reasons for permitting a temporary reduction in clinic attendance have been recorded by in the client's record;

(6) Staff have determined that the rehabilitative benefit the patient derived from decreasing the frequency of clinic attendance outweighs the potential risks of diversion; and

(7) The licensed practitioner has submitted such requests on-line, using the SAMHSA OTP Exception Request Website at https://otp-extranet.samhsa.gov/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f, including:

a. OTP identification number;

b. Patient identification number;

c. OTP name;

d. OTP contact information;

e. Requestor information;

f. Patient admission date;

g. Patient's current dosage;

h. Medication type;

i. Patient's attendance schedule;

j. Employment status;

k. Nature of the change request;

l. Start date of the requested change;

m. End date of the requested change;

n. Number of doses to be dispensed during the exception period;

o. Justification for the change request;

p. Regulatory compliance information; and

q. Submitting physician information and dated signature.

N.H. Admin. Code § He-A 304.25

Derived From Volume XXXVIII Number 10, Filed March 8, 2018, Proposed by #12476, Effective 2/16/2018, Expires 2/16/2028.