FVMA relieved by Bush veto

ORLANDO, FLA. — The Florida Veterinary Medical Association (FVMA) breathed a sigh of relief after Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed a bill that carried lenient standards on pharmacy dispensing laws.

The bills were approved in committee without objections from the opposition, FVMA reports.

By the time the association became aware of the development, the approved bills were on the calendar during the last five days of the legislative session for a full vote in the state's Senate and the House of Representatives.

The association wrote letters to the governor and held meetings with key members of the governor's staff citing reasons the law would be negative for veterinarians, pharmacies and the welfare of the general public.

"The FVMA would not have reached our goal if the pharmacy board, members and other groups had not unified," says Don Schaefer, FVMA executive director.

The American Veterinary Medical Association also submitted a compelling letter to the governor outlining clinical reasons the bill would be detrimental.

"The questions we keep getting is how did this bill ever make its way to the governor's desk?" Schaefer says.

The bill would have increased the pharmacist-to-technician ratio, permitted the processing of animal drugs without the original prescription or doctor approval and increased owner's ability to collect drugs from several pharmacies.

Oregon VMEB passes competency measure

SALEM, ORE. — Senate bill 318 passed, allowing the Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board (OVMEB) to ask licensees to take a mental health examination if the board believes it is warranted as part of a complaint.

Two incidents with licensed veterinarians spurred the board's interest to gain more authority.

"The Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board is the only medical board in the state that wasn't able to take actions on its concerns," says Glenn Kolb, OVMA executive director.

If a veterinarian would refuse to take a mental competency test, the board could issue an emergency revocation of the license depending on the circumstance, says Lori Makinen, OVMEB executive director.

"The power to ask a veterinarian to undergo a mental evaluation would be used very judicially," Kolb adds.

The power to mandate a veterinarian suspected to be in need of an evaluation would have benefited the board when considering recent cases of veterinarians' actions, Kolb says.

The new law was created to protect the public and ensure a veterinarian's competency, he adds.