Law & Ethics

Washington - 11/6/07 - The Farm Bill is scheduled to hit the U.S. Senate floor this afternoon, opening up a policy debate on farming issues and a handful of topics related to veterinary medicine.

When the average person thinks about a "trust fund," he envisions Paris Hilton or some filthy-rich kid from college days who wouldn't recognize a hard day's work if it bit him.

As various associations adopt guidelines or standards of care for the practice of veterinary medicine, a concern exists that they will be interpreted as current standards of practice by state regulatory boards and the attorneys general who represent them before they have been accepted by the masses.

Charleston, S.C. - An independent consumer-rights advocate is pushing for a change to state law that would allow veterinarians to face criminal charges for animal abuse and mistreatment.

Fort Collins, Colo. -- He's been preaching about pain management for more than a decade. CSU ethicist Bernard Rollin found a choir with the release of AAHA and AAFP guidelines.

Take these steps to protect your practice and your team from thieves.

Worcester, Mass. - In 1992, I graduated from veterinary school and began job hunting. I searched through journal ads and mailed out resumes. When I called one clinic to make sure they had received my resume, the clinic owner picked up the phone. What he said astounded me.

Austin, Texas - Veterinary regulators employ a "monopolistic licensing scheme" to put lay equine dentists out of business. Their anti-competition tactics are unconstitutional, punishing those with skills that "far exceed that of nearly every veterinarian in the state of Texas."

When I speak to veterinary students or new graduates, the topic of an eventual practice purchase often comes up.

Sometimes the animals in a veterinary clinic are just plain funny. You never know what they might do next. But that's a good thing. It adds a bit of adventure and fun to our lives, and is part of the reason we veterinarians have the best job in the world.

When a team member has an accident, avoid liability claims by starting the paperwork early.

Several legal and consulting matters passed through our offices recently, dealing with administrative record-keeping failures related to controlled substances.

Columbus, Ohio - 8/16/2007 - A veterinarian who is also a state lawmaker plans to offer an amendment to pending animal-protection legislation that would take pets away from abusive owners.

Here is a true story about the value of life. Its profound message rises out of the ashes of a potentially deadly fire, and the heroic efforts of man and animal. As you read it, ask yourself about the value you place on life.

Every year, my veterinarian clients keep getting younger.

Animal-law expert Barbara Gislason, a Minneapolis attorney, believes the time is ripe for veterinary medicine to help design a fair system to resolve the emotional-value issue in malpractice claims. Otherwise, she warns, the courts will do the job, and the profession might not like the outcome.

A special position dedicated to clients can be the mechanism that keeps your service machinery running flawlessly.

SHAUMBURG, Ill. - 6/5/07 - The 4.7 million people bitten by dogs in 2006 spurred the creation of a tri-sponsored Dog Bite Prevention Week and introduction of a Congressional resolution, by U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, to recognize the week and prevent future dog bites.

Nothing will help nip an investigation faster than a clearly maintained drug record book.

It's simply good business practice that will reduce or eliminate costly incidents.

The weather in New York is beginning to improve after a long winter and my staff is fielding the usual rash of telephone calls from vets hoping to open new practices. And, though I am going to be giving a day-long lecture on the topic of new practice formation at the Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference later this year, I thought now would be a good time to provide some useful pointers to veterinarians planning to set up shop in the near future.

It's an important day in the life of every veterinarian. Do you remember your day? Put yourself back in time: It's graduation day.

Estate planning can be a real headache, but it is just one more thing that we do in order to protect our spouses and our dependents.

Jefferson City, Mo. - A Missouri Supreme Court ruling that exempts the retail sale of prescription veterinary drugs from the state pharmacy board's oversight has prompted a Senate bill calling for regulatory clarification.

I am a strong believer in the adage, "the harder you work, the luckier you get." But old adages usually come with caveats. Perhaps a better expression might be, "the harder you work, the luckier you get unless you don't work smart."

Pet owners are suing because a company's food killed or sickened their pets.

National Report - From Alabama to Wyoming, state legislatures opened 2007 with a flurry of bills potentially impacting veterinary medicine. With the help of the American Veterinary Medical Association, DVMNewsmagazine dusted off the bureaucratic minutia to offer this state-by-state analysis. It's anything but a clean bill of health.

If my practice pays less than market rent to the landlord-which is me-are my personal assets at risk if I get sued?

A veterinarian's relationship with the client should not end with the death of a companion animal.

New graduates should disclose their ethical standards to prospective employers.