AVMA moves closer to finalizing Model Veterinary Practice Act revisions

SCHAUMBURG, ILL. — The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is finalizing its latest revision of the Model Veterinary Practice Act.

The Model Veterinary Practice Act was first adopted in 1963 and last revised in 2003. It provides guidance to state veterinary regulators with a template for creating uniform rules and laws to govern veterinary medicine, AVMA says.

For the most recent revision, AVMA received more than 1,000 comments from both veterinarians and the public. The now-revised document reflects those comments plus input from the AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act Task Force. Comments are now being sought from various AVMA committees and councils, and the final version of the document will be submitted to the AVMA Executive Board for approval later this year.

Some of the changes made to the Model Veterinary Practice Act include:

• recognizing credentialing of veterinary technicians and technologists;

• clarification of the definitions of direct supervision and indirect supervision;

• defining the veterinarian-client-patient relationship in a way that requires a veterinarian to maintain medical records on patients and that allows the veterinarian to arrange for continuing care of the patient by another doctor who has access to those records;

• allowing a veterinarian from one state to practice in another state following a declaration of emergency;

• allowing a person working under the supervision of a veterinarian to provide certain medical care in an animal shelter; and

• allowing a veterinarian to disclose client and patient information to a third-party service provider, such as a company that sends vaccination reminders, as long as a confidentiality agreement is in place.

To review the proposed revisions, go to

avma.org/issues/policy/mvpa_draft_for_entities.pdf

.