P.R. Laws tit. 20, § 2181
Unless from the context of this chapter a different meaning arises, the following words shall have the following meaning:
(a) College. — Shall mean the College of Nutritionists and Dietitians of Puerto Rico.
(b) Board. — Shall mean the Board of Examiners of Nutritionists and Dietitians of Puerto Rico.
(c) Dietician and nutrition professional. — Shall mean any professional with an academic background based on a Bachelor of Sciences with a major in nutrition and diets from an academic institution approved by the American Dietetic Association, qualified to interpret and apply scientific nutrition knowledge to the planning, organization, development and direction of programs for the promotion of health and the prevention of debilitating diseases, as well as research, study and solution of nutritional problems of individuals or groups. He/she shall also be qualified to apply this knowledge to the selection and preparation of food, planning of menus and diets, the supervision of the personnel preparing the diets; and qualified to organize and direct nutrition services in institutions such as hospitals, cafeterias, hotels, school lunch rooms, etc., and to select the required equipment. His/her preparation shall further enable him/her to offer consulting and orientation services in preventive and curative dietetics to persons who require or request a specific nourishment plan according to their needs, and to order a nourishment plan when such people are in optimal health conditions. In all other cases of illness, his/her preparation shall also empower him/her to offer consulting and orientation services to persons who require or request the same, and to prescribe a nourishment plan, provided the patient has been referred by a physician. His/her powers do not include ordering medical tests without previous indication by a physician in cases of illness and in cases of optimal health conditions, he/she may only order the following lab tests: a basic metabolic panel and cholesterol levels.
(d) Department. — Shall mean the Department of Health of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(e) Recertification. — Shall mean the procedure provided for the health professions in §§ 3001 et seq. of Title 24.
History —May 31, 1972, No. 82, p. 190, § 1; Aug. 31, 1990, No. 80, p. 473, § 1; Jan. 10, 2004, No. 45, § 1.