Esta ley enmienda la Ley Núm. 82 de 31 de mayo de 1972 para autorizar a los dietistas y profesionales de la nutrición a prescribir planes de alimentación y establecer la obligación de adherir un sello del Colegio de Nutricionistas y Dietistas de Puerto Rico en cada plan, menú o dieta preparada por sus miembros. Define el alcance de la práctica de estos profesionales, incluyendo la capacidad de ordenar ciertas pruebas de laboratorio en condiciones de salud óptima y prescribir planes de alimentación bajo referencia médica en casos de enfermedad. También detalla el uso y propósito del sello del Colegio.
(S. B. 708) (Conference) (No. 45) (Approved January 10, 2004)
To amend Act No. 82 of May 31, 1972, as amended for the purpose of authorizing dietitians and nutrition professionals to prescribe nourishment and to establish the obligation to adopt and affix a stamp from the College of Nutritionists and Dieticians of Puerto Rico on every nourishment plan, menu or diet prepared by the professionals who are members of said institution; and for other purposes.
At present, the awareness of Puerto Ricans about health problems has lead them to develop a greater interest in their nutrition and the adoption of exercise programs to obtain a better quality of life. In their search for information on this topic, many professionals treat our citizenry on a daily basis.
Among these professionals, one can point out the work performed by dietitians and nutrition professionals in evaluating and preserving the nutritional state of their patients. Due to the State's obligation to watch over the health of its people, it is very important to recognize, through this Act, the power of this professional group to be able to prescribe adequate nutrition to those in optimal conditions of health, as well as to those who are ill based on a medical diagnosis.
Certainly, being able to prescribe nourishment without the need of a physician's order, creates confusion for dietitians and nutrition professionals, which makes it necessary to clarify the extent of any intervention of the latter when treating the public in general.
On the other hand, the operation and work carried out by the College of Nutritionists and Dieticians of Puerto Rico in favor of grouping these professionals; the training based on new technologies and knowledge about nutrition and diets; and promoting the coordination of their members with experts in other fields of health, must be supported so that they may continue offering forefront knowledge and techniques in said field.
Section 1.- A new subsection
(c) is hereby added, subsection
(d) is hereby repealed and subsections
(e) and
(f) are renumbered as subsections
(d) and
(e) of Section 1 of Act No. 82 of May 31, 1972, as amended, to read as follows: "Section 1.- Definitions.- Unless from the context of this Act a different meaning arises, the following words shall have the following meaning:
(a) ....
(b) ....
(c) Dietician and Nutrition professional - shall mean any professional with an academic background based on a Bachelor of Sciences with a major in Nutrition and Diets from an Academic Institution approved by the American Dietetic Association, qualified to interpret and apply scientific nutrition knowledge to the planning, organization, development and direction of programs for the promotion of health and the prevention of debilitating diseases, as well as research, study and solution of nutritional problems of individuals or groups. He/she shall also be qualified to apply this knowledge to the selection and preparation of food, planning of menus and diets, the supervision of the personnel preparing the diets; and qualified to organize and direct nutrition services in institutions such as hospitals, cafeterias, hotels, school lunch rooms, etc., and to select the required equipment. His/her preparation shall further enable him/her to offer consulting and orientation
services in preventive and curative dietetics to persons who require or request a specific nourishment plan according to their needs, and to order a nourishment plan when such people are in optimal health conditions. In all other cases of illness, his/her preparation shall also empower him/her to offer consulting and orientation services to persons who require or request the same, and to prescribe a nourishment plan, provided the patient has been referred by a physician. His/her powers do not include ordering medical tests without previous indication by a physician in cases of illness and in cases of optimal health conditions, he/she may only order the following lab tests: a basic metabolic panel and cholesterol levels.
(d) ....
(e) ....
Section 2.- A new Section 19 is hereby added to Act 82 of May 31, 1972, as amended, to read as follows: "Section 19.- Any nourishment plan, menu or diet, designed by dietitian or nutrition professional, working for or through private hospitals, private practice, medical equipment companies, private consulting and others, except for those who work in local or federal government agencies, and those working in non-profit institutions, shelters and hospices, shall have affixed a stamp to be adopted and issued by the College of Nutritionists and Dieticians of Puerto Rico. This stamp shall have the value of one dollar $($ 1.00)$ which shall be paid by the dietician and nutrition professional's client. The proceeds income shall be deposited in the funds of the College of Nutritionists and Dieticians of Puerto Rico for its use. This stamp shall be cancelled with the signature and the license number of the licensed nutritionist/dietician, who also certifies the document. The College of Nutritionists and Dieticians shall keep a numeric registry of the sale of stamps using the license number of the nutritionist-dietician. For this purpose each dietitian and nutrition
professional must register his/her signature next his/her license number to corroborate the legality and authenticity of the cancellation of the stamp."
Section 3.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval for the purposes of the creation, design, and production of the stamp established in this Act. All other provisions shall take effect 180 days after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 45 (S.B. 708) (Conference) of the $6^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend Act No. 82 of May 31, 1972, as amended for the purpose of authorizing dietitians and nutrition professional to prescribe nourishment and to establish the obligation to adopt and affix a stamp from the College of Nutritionists and Dieticians of Puerto Rico on every nourishment plan, menu or diet prepared by the professionals who are members of said institution; and for other purposes, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $19^{ ext {th }}$ of September of 2005.
Francisco J. Domenech Director