NM Chiropractic Jurisprudence cheat sheet

The New Mexico Chiropractic Physician Practice Act is compiled in Chapter 61, Article 4 NMSA 1978; the New Mexico Board of Chiropractic Examiners is the administering agency.

The Board regulates licensure, examination, renewal, discipline, and rulemaking; the Practice Act sets statutory scope and grounds for discipline, while Board rules supply procedural detail.

Board rules are published in Title 16, Chapter 4 NMAC; when a rule conflicts with the statute, the statute controls.

The Board consists of licensed chiropractic physicians plus public members appointed by the Governor; a public member may not be a health-care provider or have a financial interest in chiropractic.

Board meetings are subject to the Open Meetings Act; final disciplinary actions are public records, but patient-identifying information and investigative files are protected.

A quorum is required to act; the Board may delegate investigation to a committee or the Board's designee, but final licensure and discipline decisions rest with the Board.

Practice without a current New Mexico license or beyond the statutory scope is both a statutory violation and separate grounds for discipline.

The Board may issue declaratory rulings and advisory opinions on scope questions; those opinions bind only the requesting party unless adopted as a rule.

Scope is defined by statute: diagnosis and treatment of human disease and physical conditions through adjustment, manipulation, and related procedures, including the use of physical measures and adjunctive procedures authorized by Board rule.

A chiropractic physician may take a case history, perform physical examination, order and interpret diagnostic imaging and laboratory tests, and formulate a diagnosis within the statutory scope.

Chiropractic physicians may not perform major surgery, prescribe or dispense legend drugs (except as expressly authorized), or administer anesthesia outside the statutory authorization.

Adjustment means a manual or instrument-assisted manipulation directed at correcting vertebral subluxation complex or other articular dysfunction; it is not limited to spinal regions where the statute so provides.

Referral to another licensed provider is required when the condition is outside chiropractic scope or when progress plateaus and medical evaluation is warranted.

Prohibited conduct includes practicing beyond scope, false or misleading advertising, guaranteeing cures, fee-splitting, aiding unlicensed practice, and practicing while impaired.

Patient records must be legible, contemporaneous, retained for the period set by Board rule, and released as required by law; abandonment without notice and referral is a violation.

Informed consent must be documented before care, including the nature of the procedure, risks, alternatives, and the patient's right to refuse or withdraw.

Applicants must graduate from a chiropractic college accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (or an equivalent recognized accreditor) and pass the NBCE examinations required by Board rule.

The Board may require jurisprudence examination, criminal background check, and verification of licensure in every jurisdiction where the applicant has held a license.

Licensure by credentials (endorsement) requires active, unencumbered licensure in another state with substantially equivalent requirements plus the Board's required examinations.

Licenses renew on a biennial cycle tied to the licensee's birth date or the date set by Board rule; renewal requires completion of continuing education and payment of fees.

Continuing education must include Board-mandated hours in jurisprudence/ethics, and remaining hours must be approved Category I chiropractic education; documentation must be retained for audit.

Failure to renew timely results in lapsed licensure; practicing on a lapsed license is unlicensed practice and separate grounds for discipline.

A licensee must notify the Board of a change of address, name, or practice location within the time set by rule, and must report certain adverse actions in other jurisdictions.

Inactive or retired status may be available on request, but returning to active practice requires satisfying the Board's reentry requirements, including CE and possibly reexamination.

Any person may file a complaint with the Board; the Board's investigator screens it, and the Board may dismiss, investigate, or refer to the advisory/peer review committee.

After investigation, the Board may issue a notice of contemplated action, offer a stipulated settlement, or set the matter for hearing before a hearing officer or the Board.

The licensee is entitled to notice of charges, an opportunity to be heard, representation by counsel, and to confront and cross-examine witnesses.

The Board may impose censure, probation with conditions, suspension, revocation, fines, remedial education, monitoring, or costs of the proceeding.

Summary suspension may be ordered when continued practice poses an imminent risk to public health and safety, followed by a prompt hearing.

Grounds for discipline include unprofessional conduct, gross negligence, incompetence, impairment, fraud in obtaining a license, and conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude.

Ethical duties include confidentiality, honesty in billing and advertising, avoiding conflicts of interest, and not abandoning patients without notice and referral.

The Board's final decisions are subject to judicial review under the Administrative Procedures Act; the licensee must exhaust administrative remedies before seeking review.

The New Mexico Chiropractic Physician Practice Act is compiled in Chapter 61, Article 4 NMSA 1978; the New Mexico Board of Chiropractic Examiners is the administering agency.

The Board regulates licensure, examination, renewal, discipline, and rulemaking; the Practice Act sets statutory scope and grounds for discipline, while Board rules supply procedural detail.

Board rules are published in Title 16, Chapter 4 NMAC; when a rule conflicts with the statute, the statute controls.

The Board consists of licensed chiropractic physicians plus public members appointed by the Governor; a public member may not be a health-care provider or have a financial interest in chiropractic.

Board meetings are subject to the Open Meetings Act; final disciplinary actions are public records, but patient-identifying information and investigative files are protected.

A quorum is required to act; the Board may delegate investigation to a committee or the Board's designee, but final licensure and discipline decisions rest with the Board.

Practice without a current New Mexico license or beyond the statutory scope is both a statutory violation and separate grounds for discipline.

The Board may issue declaratory rulings and advisory opinions on scope questions; those opinions bind only the requesting party unless adopted as a rule.

Scope is defined by statute: diagnosis and treatment of human disease and physical conditions through adjustment, manipulation, and related procedures, including the use of physical measures and adjunctive procedures authorized by Board rule.

A chiropractic physician may take a case history, perform physical examination, order and interpret diagnostic imaging and laboratory tests, and formulate a diagnosis within the statutory scope.

Chiropractic physicians may not perform major surgery, prescribe or dispense legend drugs (except as expressly authorized), or administer anesthesia outside the statutory authorization.

Adjustment means a manual or instrument-assisted manipulation directed at correcting vertebral subluxation complex or other articular dysfunction; it is not limited to spinal regions where the statute so provides.

Referral to another licensed provider is required when the condition is outside chiropractic scope or when progress plateaus and medical evaluation is warranted.

Prohibited conduct includes practicing beyond scope, false or misleading advertising, guaranteeing cures, fee-splitting, aiding unlicensed practice, and practicing while impaired.

Patient records must be legible, contemporaneous, retained for the period set by Board rule, and released as required by law; abandonment without notice and referral is a violation.

Informed consent must be documented before care, including the nature of the procedure, risks, alternatives, and the patient's right to refuse or withdraw.

Applicants must graduate from a chiropractic college accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (or an equivalent recognized accreditor) and pass the NBCE examinations required by Board rule.

The Board may require jurisprudence examination, criminal background check, and verification of licensure in every jurisdiction where the applicant has held a license.

Licensure by credentials (endorsement) requires active, unencumbered licensure in another state with substantially equivalent requirements plus the Board's required examinations.

Licenses renew on a biennial cycle tied to the licensee's birth date or the date set by Board rule; renewal requires completion of continuing education and payment of fees.

Continuing education must include Board-mandated hours in jurisprudence/ethics, and remaining hours must be approved Category I chiropractic education; documentation must be retained for audit.

Failure to renew timely results in lapsed licensure; practicing on a lapsed license is unlicensed practice and separate grounds for discipline.

A licensee must notify the Board of a change of address, name, or practice location within the time set by rule, and must report certain adverse actions in other jurisdictions.

Inactive or retired status may be available on request, but returning to active practice requires satisfying the Board's reentry requirements, including CE and possibly reexamination.

Any person may file a complaint with the Board; the Board's investigator screens it, and the Board may dismiss, investigate, or refer to the advisory/peer review committee.

After investigation, the Board may issue a notice of contemplated action, offer a stipulated settlement, or set the matter for hearing before a hearing officer or the Board.

The licensee is entitled to notice of charges, an opportunity to be heard, representation by counsel, and to confront and cross-examine witnesses.

The Board may impose censure, probation with conditions, suspension, revocation, fines, remedial education, monitoring, or costs of the proceeding.

Summary suspension may be ordered when continued practice poses an imminent risk to public health and safety, followed by a prompt hearing.

Grounds for discipline include unprofessional conduct, gross negligence, incompetence, impairment, fraud in obtaining a license, and conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude.

Ethical duties include confidentiality, honesty in billing and advertising, avoiding conflicts of interest, and not abandoning patients without notice and referral.

The Board's final decisions are subject to judicial review under the Administrative Procedures Act; the licensee must exhaust administrative remedies before seeking review.

The New Mexico Chiropractic Physician Practice Act is compiled in Chapter 61, Article 4 NMSA 1978; the New Mexico Board of Chiropractic Examiners is the administering agency.

The Board regulates licensure, examination, renewal, discipline, and rulemaking; the Practice Act sets statutory scope and grounds for discipline, while Board rules supply procedural detail.

Board rules are published in Title 16, Chapter 4 NMAC; when a rule conflicts with the statute, the statute controls.

The Board consists of licensed chiropractic physicians plus public members appointed by the Governor; a public member may not be a health-care provider or have a financial interest in chiropractic.

Board meetings are subject to the Open Meetings Act; final disciplinary actions are public records, but patient-identifying information and investigative files are protected.

A quorum is required to act; the Board may delegate investigation to a committee or the Board's designee, but final licensure and discipline decisions rest with the Board.

Practice without a current New Mexico license or beyond the statutory scope is both a statutory violation and separate grounds for discipline.

The Board may issue declaratory rulings and advisory opinions on scope questions; those opinions bind only the requesting party unless adopted as a rule.

Scope is defined by statute: diagnosis and treatment of human disease and physical conditions through adjustment, manipulation, and related procedures, including the use of physical measures and adjunctive procedures authorized by Board rule.

A chiropractic physician may take a case history, perform physical examination, order and interpret diagnostic imaging and laboratory tests, and formulate a diagnosis within the statutory scope.

Chiropractic physicians may not perform major surgery, prescribe or dispense legend drugs (except as expressly authorized), or administer anesthesia outside the statutory authorization.

Adjustment means a manual or instrument-assisted manipulation directed at correcting vertebral subluxation complex or other articular dysfunction; it is not limited to spinal regions where the statute so provides.

Referral to another licensed provider is required when the condition is outside chiropractic scope or when progress plateaus and medical evaluation is warranted.

Prohibited conduct includes practicing beyond scope, false or misleading advertising, guaranteeing cures, fee-splitting, aiding unlicensed practice, and practicing while impaired.

Patient records must be legible, contemporaneous, retained for the period set by Board rule, and released as required by law; abandonment without notice and referral is a violation.

Informed consent must be documented before care, including the nature of the procedure, risks, alternatives, and the patient's right to refuse or withdraw.

Applicants must graduate from a chiropractic college accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (or an equivalent recognized accreditor) and pass the NBCE examinations required by Board rule.

The Board may require jurisprudence examination, criminal background check, and verification of licensure in every jurisdiction where the applicant has held a license.

Licensure by credentials (endorsement) requires active, unencumbered licensure in another state with substantially equivalent requirements plus the Board's required examinations.

Licenses renew on a biennial cycle tied to the licensee's birth date or the date set by Board rule; renewal requires completion of continuing education and payment of fees.

Continuing education must include Board-mandated hours in jurisprudence/ethics, and remaining hours must be approved Category I chiropractic education; documentation must be retained for audit.

Failure to renew timely results in lapsed licensure; practicing on a lapsed license is unlicensed practice and separate grounds for discipline.

A licensee must notify the Board of a change of address, name, or practice location within the time set by rule, and must report certain adverse actions in other jurisdictions.

Inactive or retired status may be available on request, but returning to active practice requires satisfying the Board's reentry requirements, including CE and possibly reexamination.

Any person may file a complaint with the Board; the Board's investigator screens it, and the Board may dismiss, investigate, or refer to the advisory/peer review committee.

After investigation, the Board may issue a notice of contemplated action, offer a stipulated settlement, or set the matter for hearing before a hearing officer or the Board.

The licensee is entitled to notice of charges, an opportunity to be heard, representation by counsel, and to confront and cross-examine witnesses.

The Board may impose censure, probation with conditions, suspension, revocation, fines, remedial education, monitoring, or costs of the proceeding.

Summary suspension may be ordered when continued practice poses an imminent risk to public health and safety, followed by a prompt hearing.

Grounds for discipline include unprofessional conduct, gross negligence, incompetence, impairment, fraud in obtaining a license, and conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude.

Ethical duties include confidentiality, honesty in billing and advertising, avoiding conflicts of interest, and not abandoning patients without notice and referral.

The Board's final decisions are subject to judicial review under the Administrative Procedures Act; the licensee must exhaust administrative remedies before seeking review.