11 NCAC 23M .0102 DEFINITIONS
As used in this Subchapter:
(1) "Acute phase" means 12 weeks of treatment for pain following an injury by accident, occupational disease, surgery for an injury by accident or occupational disease, or subsequent aggravation of an injury by accident or occupational disease. There may be more than one acute phase during treatment for an injury or occupational disease.
(2) "Chronic phase" means continued treatment for pain immediately following a 12-week period of treatment for pain using a targeted controlled substance.
(3) "Confirmatory urine drug test" means a definitive urine drug test that verifies the results of a presumptive urine drug test. A confirmatory urine drug test identifies individual drugs and drug metabolites. Health care providers shall use a confirmatory drug test for the lowest number of drug classes necessary based on the results of the presumptive urine drug test, not to exceed 21 drug classes.
(4) "CSRS" means the Controlled Substances Reporting System as established by the North Carolina Controlled Substances Reporting System Act, Article 5E of Chapter 90 of the North Carolina General Statutes.
(5) "Long-acting opioid" or "extended-release opioid" means any targeted controlled substance that is formulated to release the drug gradually into the bloodstream or to have a long half-life for prolonged activity with an analgesic effect of 8 to 72 hours or longer.
(6) "Lowest effective dosage" means the lowest dose necessary to achieve the clinical goal.
(7) "Morphine equivalent dose" means conversion of various opioids to an equivalent morphine dose by using the most current conversion guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC"). The CDC Opioid Prescribing Guideline Mobile App and the CDC's guidelines for Calculating Total Daily Dose of Opioids for Safer Dosage are hereby incorporated by reference, including any subsequent amendments or editions. These materials are available online at no cost at https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/calculating_total_daily_dose-a.pdf and
https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/App_Opioid_Prescribing_Guideline-a.pdf.
(8) "Opioid antagonist" means the term as defined in G.S. 90-12.7(a).
(9) "Pain" means pain resulting from an injury by accident or occupational disease.
(10) "Presumptive urine drug test" means an initial urine drug test that identifies negative specimens and presumptive positive specimens, and is interpreted through visual examination. Examples include dipstick tests and drug test cups. A health care provider who is providing pain management treatment in the chronic phase to an employee may administer a presumptive urine drug test that is qualitative and interpreted or analyzed with instrumental or chemical assistance if the health care provider believes, in his or her medical opinion, that a more sensitive presumptive urine drug test is appropriate and is likely to reduce the need for a confirmatory urine drug test.
(12) "Targeted controlled substance" means any controlled substance included in G.S. 90-90(1) or (2) or G.S. 90-91(d).
History Note: Authority G.S. 97-25.4; 97-80(a); S.L. 2017-203, s. 4;
Eff. May 1, 2018;
Recodified from 04 NCAC 10M .0102 Eff. June 1, 2018.