N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 8 § 29.2

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 43, October 23, 2024

Section 29.2 - General provisions for health professions

(a) Unprofessional conduct shall also include, in the professions of: acupuncture, athletic training, audiology, certified behavior analyst assistant, registered dental assisting, chiropractic, creative arts therapy, dental hygiene, dentistry, dietetics/nutrition, licensed behavior analyst, licensed pathologists' assistants, licensed perfusionist, licensed practical nursing, marriage and family therapy, massage therapy, medicine, mental health counseling, midwifery, occupational therapy, occupational therapy assistant, ophthalmic dispensing, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapist assistant, physical therapy, physician assistant, podiatry, psychoanalysis, psychology, registered pharmacy technicians, registered professional nursing, respiratory therapy, respiratory therapy technician, social work, specialist assistant, speech-language pathology (except for cases involving those professions licensed, certified or registered pursuant to the pro- visions of article 131 or 131-B of the Education Law in which a statement of charges of professional misconduct was not served on or before July 26, 1991, the effective date of chapter 606 of the Laws of 1991):

(1) abandoning or neglecting a patient or client under and in need of immediate professional care, without making reasonable arrangements for the continuation of such care, or abandoning a professional employment by a group practice, hospital, clinic or other health care facility, without reasonable notice and under circumstances which seriously impair the delivery of professional care to patients or clients;

(2) willfully harassing, abusing or intimidating a patient either physically or verbally;

(3) failing to maintain a record for each patient which accurately reflects the evaluation and treatment of the patient. Unless otherwise provided by law, all patient records must be retained for at least six years. Obstetrical records and records of minor patients must be retained for at least six years, and until one year after the minor patient reaches the age of 21 years;

(4) using the word "Doctor" in offering to perform professional services without also indicating the profession in which the licensee holds a doctorate;

(5) failing to exercise appropriate supervision over persons who are authorized to practice only under the supervision of the licensed professional;

(6) guaranteeing that satisfaction or a cure will result from the performance of professional services;

(7) ordering of excessive tests, treatment, or use of treatment facilities not warranted by the condition of the patient;

(8) claiming or using any secret or special method of treatment which the licensee refuses to divulge to the State Board for the profession;

(9) failing to wear an identifying badge, which shall be conspicuously displayed and legible, indicating the practitioner's name and professional title authorized pursuant to the Education Law, while practicing as an employee or operator of a hospital, clinic, group practice or multiprofessional facility, registered pharmacy, or at a commercial establishment offering health services to the public;

(10) entering into an arrangement or agreement with a pharmacy for the compounding and/ or dispensing of coded or specially marked prescriptions;

(11) with respect to all professional practices conducted under an assumed name, other than facilities licensed pursuant to article 28 of the Public Health Law or article 13 of the Mental Hygiene Law, failing to post conspicuously at the site of such practice the names and the licensure field of all of the principal professional licensees engaged in practice at that site (i.e., principal partners, officers or principal shareholders);

(12) issuing prescriptions for drugs and devices which do not contain the following information: the date written, the prescriber's name, address, telephone number, profession and registration number, the patient's name, address and age, the name, strength and quantity of the prescribed drug or device, as well as the directions for use by the patient. In addition, all prescriptions for controlled substances shall meet the requirements of article 33 of the Public Health Law;

(13) failing to use scientifically accepted infection prevention techniques appropriate to each profession for the cleaning and sterilization or disinfection of instruments, devices, materials and work surfaces, utilization of protective garb, use of covers for contamination- prone equipment and the handling of sharp instruments. Such techniques shall include but not be limited to:

(i) wearing of appropriate protective gloves at all times when touching blood, saliva, other body fluids or secretions, mucous membranes, nonintact skin, blood-soiled items or bodily fluid-soiled items, contaminated surfaces, and sterile body areas, and during instrument cleaning and decontamination procedures;

(ii) discarding gloves used following treatment of a patient and changing to new gloves if torn or damaged during treatment of a patient; washing hands and donning new gloves prior to performing services for another patient; and washing hands and other skin surfaces immediately if contaminated with blood or other body fluids;

(iii) wearing of appropriate masks, gowns or aprons, and protective eyewear or chin- length plastic face shields whenever splashing or spattering of blood or other body fluids is likely to occur;

(iv) sterilizing equipment and devices that enter the patient's vascular system or other normally sterile areas of the body;

(v) sterilizing equipment and devices that touch intact mucous membranes but do not penetrate the patient's body or using high-level disinfection for equipment and devices which cannot be sterilized prior to use for a patient;

(vi) using appropriate agents, including but not limited to detergents for cleaning all equipment and devices prior a sterilization or disinfection;

(vii) cleaning, by the use of appropriate agents, including but not limited to detergents, equipment and devices which do not touch the patient or that only touch the intact skin of the patient;

(viii) maintaining equipment and devices used for sterilization according to the manufacturer's instructions;

(ix) adequately monitoring the performance of all personnel, licensed or unlicensed, for whom the licensee is responsible regarding infection control techniques;

(x) placing disposable used syringes, needles, scalpel blades, and other sharp instruments in appropriate puncture-resistant containers for disposal; and placing reusable needles, scalpel blades, and other sharp instruments in appropriate puncture-resistant containers until appropriately cleaned and sterilized;

(xi) maintaining appropriate ventilation devices to minimize the need for emergency mouth-to-mouth resuscitation;

(xii) refraining from all direct patient care and handling of patient care equipment when the health care professional has exudative lesions or weeping dermatitis and the condition has not been medically evaluated and determined to be safe or capable of being safely protected against in providing direct patient care or in handling patient care equipment; and

(xiii) placing all specimens of blood and body fluids in well-constructed containers with secure lids to prevent leaking; and cleaning any spill of blood or other body fluid with an appropriate detergent and appropriate chemical germicide; and

(14) failing to adhere to applicable practice guidelines, as determined by the commissioner, for the compounding of sterile drugs and products.

(b) Unprofessional conduct shall also include, in those professions specified in section 18 of the Public Health Law and in the professions of acupuncture, certified behavior analyst assistant, creative arts therapy, marriage and family therapy, massage therapy, mental health counseling, and psychoanalysis, failing to provide access by qualified persons to patient information in accordance with the standards set forth in section 18 of the Public Health Law. In the professions of acupuncture, certified behavior analyst assistant, creative arts therapy, licensed behavior analyst, marriage and family therapy, massage therapy, mental health counseling, and psychoanalysis, qualified persons may appeal the denial of access to patient information in the manner set forth in section 18 of the Public Health Law to a record access committee appointed by the executive secretary of the appropriate State Board. Such record access review committees shall consist of not less than three, nor more than five members of the appropriate State Board.

N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. Tit. 8 § 29.2

Amended, New York State Register October 1, 2014/Volume XXXVI, Issue 39, eff. 10/1/2014

Amended, New York State Register April 1, 2015/Volume XXXVII, Issue 13, eff. 4/1/2015

Amended New York State Register September 28, 2016/Volume XXXVIII, Issue 39, eff. 10/21/2016

Amended New York State Register March 28, 2018/Volume XL, Issue 13, eff. 3/28/2018

Amended New York State Register February 26, 2020/Volume XLII, Issue 08, eff. 2/26/2020

Amended New York State Register May 26, 2021/Volume XLIII, Issue 21, eff. 5/26/2021