New Mexico Statutes
Article 14A - Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Practice
Section 61-14A-3 - Definitions. (Repealed effective July 1, 2024.)

As used in the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Practice Act:
A. "acupuncture" means the surgical use of needles inserted into and removed from the body and the use of other devices, modalities and procedures at specific locations on the body for the prevention, cure or correction of any disease, illness, injury, pain or other condition by controlling and regulating the flow and balance of energy and function to restore and maintain health;
B. "board" means the board of acupuncture and oriental medicine;
C. "doctor of oriental medicine" means a person licensed as a physician to practice acupuncture and oriental medicine with the ability to practice independently, serve as a primary care provider and as necessary collaborate with other health care providers;
D. "moxibustion" means the use of heat on or above specific locations or on acupuncture needles at specific locations on the body for the prevention, cure or correction of any disease, illness, injury, pain or other condition;
E. "oriental medicine" means the distinct system of primary health care that uses all allied techniques of oriental medicine, both traditional and modern, to diagnose, treat and prescribe for the prevention, cure or correction of disease, illness, injury, pain or other physical or mental condition by controlling and regulating the flow and balance of energy, form and function to restore and maintain health;
F. "primary care provider" means a health care practitioner acting within the scope of the health care practitioner's license who provides the first level of basic or general health care for a person's health needs, including diagnostic and treatment services, initiates referrals to other health care practitioners and maintains the continuity of care when appropriate;
G. "techniques of oriental medicine" means:
(1) the diagnostic and treatment techniques used in oriental medicine that include diagnostic procedures; acupuncture; moxibustion; manual therapy, also known as tui na; other physical medicine modalities and therapeutic procedures; breathing and exercise techniques; and dietary, nutritional and lifestyle counseling;
(2) the prescribing, administering, combining and providing of herbal medicines, homeopathic medicines, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, glandular products, natural substances, natural medicines, protomorphogens, live cell products, gerovital, amino acids, dietary and nutritional supplements, cosmetics as they are defined in the New Mexico Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act [Chapter 26, Article 1 NMSA 1978] and nonprescription drugs as they are defined in the Pharmacy Act [Chapter 61, Article 11 NMSA 1978]; and
(3) the prescribing, administering and providing of devices, restricted devices and prescription devices, as those devices are defined in the New Mexico Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, if the board determines by rule that the devices are necessary in the practice of oriental medicine and if the prescribing doctor of oriental medicine has fulfilled requirements for prescriptive authority in accordance with rules promulgated by the board for the devices enumerated in this paragraph; and
H. "tutor" means a doctor of oriental medicine with at least ten years of clinical experience who is a teacher of acupuncture and oriental medicine.
History: 1978 Comp., § 61-14A-3, enacted by Laws 1993, ch. 158, § 11; 1997, ch. 240, § 3; 2000, ch. 53, § 2; 2001, ch. 266, § 1; 2007, ch. 276, § 1.
Repeals and reenactments. — Laws 1993, ch. 158, § 11 repealed former 61-14A-3 NMSA 1978, as enacted by Laws 1981, ch. 62, § 3, relating to the requirement of a license, and enacted the above section, effective June 18, 1993.
Delayed repeals. — For delayed repeal of this section, see 61-14B-25 NMSA 1978.
The 2007 amendment, effective June 15, 2007, defined "techniques of oriental medicine" to include prescribing, administering, combining or providing medicines, including natural medicines and cosmetics as defined in the New Mexico Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act and nonprescription drugs as defined in the Pharmacy Act and the prescribing, administering and providing devices as defined in the New Mexico Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act.
The 2001 amendment, effective July 1, 2001, in Subsection F, substituted "health care practitioner" for "health care professional"; and inserted "initiates referrals to other health care practitioners and maintains the continuity of care when appropriate" at the end of the subsection.
The 2000 amendment, effective May 17, 2000, in Subsection A, inserted "surgical" and deleted "human" preceding "body"; substituted "function" for "functioning of the person" in Subsections A and E; deleted Subsection C, which read "'department' means the regulation and licensing department" and redesignated the remaining subsections accordingly; substituted "a person's health" for "an individual's health" in Subsection F; inserted "natural substances, protomorphogens, live cell products, gerovital" in Subsection G(2); inserted "biological products, including" in the beginning of Subsection G(4); in Subsection G(5), inserted "or controlled substances", "or the Controlled Substances Act", and "extended or expanded" in the introductory paragraph; added Subsection G(5)(d) through (g) and (i), deleted former G(5)(e) which read "topical application of naturally occurring hormones" and redesignated the remaining subsections accordingly; added "or controlled substances; and" to the end of Subsection G(5)(j); and added Subsection H.
The 1997 amendment, effective June 20, 1997, in Subsection A, inserted "and removed from" following "inserted into" and "devices" following "other" near the beginning, rewrote Subsection D, deleted "as defined in Subsection G of this section" following "prescribe" in Subsection F, added Subsection G and redesignated the following subsection accordingly, in Subsection H designated the existing language as Paragraphs H(1) and H(2), in Paragraph H(1), deleted "but are not limited to" following "include" near the beginning, and inserted "other physical medicine modalities and therapeutic procedures" following the first semicolon, rewrote the language in Paragraph H(2), and added Paragraphs H(3) through H(5), and made minor stylistic changes.
Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 61 Am. Jur. 2d Physicians, Surgeons and Other Healers, §§ 3, 42.