§ 77083. Organized Clinical Staff.

(a) The organized clinical staff shall be composed of all licensed mental health professionals as included in Section 77012 or other licensed practitioners who have admitting and/or treatment privileges in the facility and shall be responsible for the following:

(1) A formal peer review process which, in order to improve the quality of care, will review and evaluate the adequacy, appropriateness, and effectiveness of the care and treatment planned for, or provided to, facility patients.

(2) In conjunction with the pharmacist's monthly drug regimen review, a medication monitoring system that will assess the prescribing practices of the professional staff of the facility with respect to appropriateness and cost effectiveness of the medications ordered for the patients of the facility. The medication monitoring requirements specified in this subsection shall include findings of the pharmacist's monthly drug regimen review.

(3) A utilization review program which shall be a system of policies and procedures designed to ascertain and assure the clinical necessity of acute inpatient psychiatric services for patients using the facility.

(b) The clinical staff shall meet at least monthly. Minutes of each meeting shall be maintained for at least 1 year and shall be available for review by the Department.

(c) Patients shall be admitted only upon the order and under the care of a member of the clinical staff who is lawfully authorized to diagnose, prescribe and treat patients. The patient's condition and provisional diagnosis shall be established at time of admission by the admitting practitioner subject to the provisions of Section 77073.

(d) In order to carry out the functions as specified in this section, professionals who are not members of the organized clinical staff may be utilized. These professionals include, but are not limited to, pharmacists, dietitians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, recreation therapists, registered record administrators or licensed nursing staff.

HISTORY

1.. New section filed 4-15-87, operative 5-15-87 (Register 87, No. 16).

2. Amendment of subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2) and amendment of Note filed 5-7-99; operative 6-6-99 (Register 99, No. 19).

Note

Note: Authority cited: Section 1275, Health and Safety Code. Reference: Section 1275.1, Health and Safety Code.