(a) The secretary shall promulgate rules in accordance with the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code for the licensure of medication-assisted treatment programs to ensure adequate care, treatment, health, safety, welfare and comfort of patients at these facilities.  These rules shall include, at a minimum:

(1) The process to be followed by applicants seeking a license;

Terms Used In West Virginia Code 16-5Y-13

  • board: means a board of health serving one or more counties or one or more municipalities or a combination thereof. See West Virginia Code 16-1-2
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Medication-assisted treatment: means the use of medications and drug screens, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a holistic approach to the treatment of substance use disorders. See West Virginia Code 16-5Y-2
  • Medication-assisted treatment program: means all publicly and privately owned opioid treatment programs and office-based, medication-assisted treatment programs, which prescribe medication-assisted treatment medications and treat substance use disorders, as those terms are defined in this article. See West Virginia Code 16-5Y-2
  • Owner: means any person, partnership, association, or corporation listed as the owner of a medication-assisted treatment program on the licensing or registration forms required by this article. See West Virginia Code 16-5Y-2
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources or his or her designee. See West Virginia Code 16-5Y-2
  • Substance: means the following:

    (1) Alcohol. See West Virginia Code 16-5Y-2

(2) The qualifications and supervision of licensed and nonlicensed personnel at medication-assisted treatment programs and training requirements for all facility health care practitioners who are not regulated by another board;

(3) The provision and coordination of patient care, including the development of a written plan of care and patient contract;

(4) The management, operation, staffing and equipping of the medication-assisted treatment program;

(5) The clinical, medical, patient and business records kept by the medication-assisted treatment program;

(6) The procedures for inspections and for review of utilization and quality of patient care;

(7) The standards and procedures for the general operation of a medication-assisted treatment program, including facility operations, physical operations, infection control requirements, health and safety requirements and quality assurance;

(8) Identification of drugs that may be used to treat substance use disorders that identify a facility as a medication-assisted treatment program;

(9) Any other criteria that identify a facility as a medication-assisted treatment program;

(10) The standards and procedures to be followed by an owner in providing supervision, direction and control of individuals employed by or associated with a medication-assisted treatment program;

(11) Data collection and reporting requirements;

(12) Criteria and requirements related to specific medication-assisted treatment medications; and

(13) Such other standards or requirements as the secretary determines are appropriate.

(b) The Legislature finds that an emergency exists and, therefore, the secretary shall file an emergency rule to implement the provisions of this section pursuant to the provisions of section fifteen, article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.