Veterinarians: veterinarian-client-patient relationship.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not specify the exact requirements or conditions under which a veterinarian must be available by phone.

Veterinarians: Rules for Vet Techs Administering Vaccines

The law allows registered veterinary technicians to give vaccines and medications in certain animal shelters when a veterinarian is nearby or can be reached by phone.

What This Bill Does

• Changes rules so that registered veterinary technicians can give vaccines and medications at public animal control agencies, private animal shelters, humane society shelters, and cruelty prevention societies when the veterinarian is close by or available by phone.

Who It Names or Affects

• Registered veterinary technicians
• Veterinarians
• Public animal control agencies, private animal shelters, humane society shelters, and cruelty prevention societies

Terms To Know

registered veterinary technician

A person who is licensed to assist veterinarians in medical procedures under their supervision.

veterinarian-client-patient relationship

The professional relationship between a veterinarian, the animal patient, and the owner or caretaker of the animal.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify how quickly a veterinarian must be available by phone.
• Only applies to certain types of shelters and agencies listed in the bill.

Official Summary Text

SB 602, Cortese.
Veterinarians: veterinarian-client-patient relationship.
Existing law, the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, establishes the California Veterinary Medical Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs for the licensure and regulation of veterinarians and the practice of veterinary medicine and makes a violation of the act a crime. Existing law authorizes a veterinarian to allow a registered veterinary technician to act as an agent of the veterinarian for the purpose of establishing the veterinarian-client-patient relationship to administer preventive or prophylactic vaccines or medications for the control or eradication of apparent or anticipated internal or external parasites by satisfying specified conditions, including, among other things, imposing different requirements relating to the proximity of the veterinarian depending upon where the registered veterinarian technician is administering the vaccine or medication. Specifically,
existing law requires either that the veterinarian is physically present at the premises when the registered veterinary technician is working at a registered veterinary premises, or, if working at a location other than a registered veterinary premises, that the veterinarian is in the general vicinity or available by telephone and is quickly and easily available.
This bill would revise the above-described condition to authorize a registered veterinary technician to administer the vaccine or medication in a registered veterinary premises that is a public animal control agency or shelter, private animal shelter, humane society shelter, or society for the prevention of cruelty to animals shelter when the veterinarian is in the general vicinity or available by telephone and is quickly and easily available.
Because a violation of the bill’s provisions would be a crime under the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, the bill would
impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF