§ 24:6J-3 — Definitions relative to overdose prevention.

3. As used in this act: "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Human Services. "Drug overdose" means an acute condition including, but not limited to, physical illness, coma, mania, hysteria, diminished consciousness, respiratory depression, or death resulting from the consumption or use of a controlled dangerous substance or another substance with which a controlled dangerous substance was combined and that a layperson would reasonably believe to require medical assistance. "Emergency medical response entity" means an organization, company, governmental entity, community-based program, or healthcare system that provides pre-hospital emergency medical services and assistance. "Emergency medical response entity" includes, but is not limited to, a first aid, rescue and ambulance squad or other basic life support (BLS) ambulance provider; a mobile intensive care provider or other advanced life support (ALS) ambulance provider; an air medical service provider; or a fire-fighting company or organization, which squad, provider, company, or organization is qualified to send paid or volunteer emergency medical responders to the scene of an emergency. "Emergency medical responder" means a person, other than a health care practitioner, who is employed on a paid or volunteer basis in the area of emergency response, including, but not limited to, an emergency medical technician, a mobile intensive care paramedic, or a fire fighter, acting in that person's professional capacity. "Health care practitioner" means any individual who is licensed or certified to provide health care services pursuant to Title 45 of the Revised Statutes. "Institution of higher education" means any public or private university, college, technical college or community college located in New Jersey. "Law enforcement agency" means a department, division, bureau, commission, board or other authority of the State or of any political subdivision thereof which employs law enforcement officers. "Law enforcement officer" means a person whose public duties include the power to act as an officer for the detection, apprehension, arrest and conviction of offenders against the laws of this State. "Medical assistance" means professional medical services that are provided to a person experiencing a drug overdose by a health care practitioner, acting within the practitioner's scope of professional practice, including professional medical services that are mobilized through telephone contact with the 911 telephone emergency service. "Occupational school" means a business, trade, technical, or other school approved by a nationally-recognized accrediting agency. "Opioid antidote" means any drug, regardless of dosage amount or method of administration, which has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of an opioid overdose. "Opioid antidote" includes, but is not limited to, naloxone hydrochloride, in any dosage amount, which is administered through nasal spray or any other FDA-approved means or methods. "Prescriber" means a health care practitioner authorized by law to prescribe medications. "Prescriber" includes, but shall not be limited to, physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practice nurses. "Public library" means a library that serves, free of charge, all residents of an area without discrimination and that receives its financial support, in whole or in part, from public funds. "Public transportation hub" means a passenger station, terminal, or other facility, as designated by the Commissioner of Transportation, where public transportation services are made available. "Recipient" means any individual who or entity that is prescribed or dispensed an opioid antidote in accordance with section 4 of P.L.2013, c.46 (C.24:6J-4) or section 1 of P.L.2017, c.88 (C.45:14-67.2). The term "recipient" shall include, but shall not be limited to, private citizens, emergency medical responders, emergency medical response entities, law enforcement officers, law enforcement agencies, recognized places of public access, employees and volunteers providing services at, through, or on behalf of a recognized place of public access, public and nonpublic schools, school nurses and other staff at a public or nonpublic school, sterile syringe access programs, and staff and employees of a sterile syringe access program. The term "recipient" shall not include a prescriber or a licensed pharmacist acting within a professional capacity. "Recognized place of public access" means a public library, institution of higher education, occupational school, or public transportation hub. "Sterile syringe access program" means a program established pursuant to the provisions of P.L.2006, c.99 (C.26:5C-25 et al.). L.2013, c.46, s.3; amended 2015, c.10, s.1; 2017, c.381, s.1; 2018, c.106, s.7; 2021, c.152, s.2.