Page 39 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

Chapter 2 Laws, Policies, and OSHA Standards Affecting Veterinary Practice 23

• Requires the establishment of an Institutional Animal State Laws
Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in every research
and teaching facility that uses animals. This Practice Act Rules and Regulations
committee is made up of researchers and/or
professors that review all written research and As discussed in Chapter 1, veterinary medicine is specifi-
teaching protocols that utilize animals within that cally regulated by a practice act. Each individual state leg-
facility. They are tasked with making sure the islates their practice act to fit within the state’s laws and
protocols are within the guidelines set by the USDA/ culture. The practice act is not changed easily or often as
AWA and that the animals are cared for as specified it takes an act of the state’s legislative, judicial, and exec-
in the protocol. utive branches to be changed. The American Veterinary
• Inspections by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Medical Association (AVMA) and the American
Inspection Service (APHIS) are on an annual basis. All Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) have
licensed facilities (research, exhibition, and model practice acts that can be utilized to update or
sanctuaries) and protocols involving animals are revamp state practice acts. AAVSB has a current database
inspected to check if they are complying with the rules. of each state’s practice act and assists with state jurispru-
• Set regulations for transporting animals across state dence, veterinary medical exams, and administers the
and national borders. Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE).
• Prosecute and penalize any person that knowingly In addition to the practice act, there are rules and reg-
sponsors or exhibits an animal in any animal fighting ulations determined by a veterinary state board, whose
venture. members are appointed by the governor of the state.
These are not legislated and can be adjusted to facilitate
The USDA oversees the Food Animal Residue the legislated practice act. This board is also responsible
Avoidance Databank (FARAD), a risk management for administering veterinary licenses, and in some states
program to standardize drug withholding times in food veterinary technician credentials by providing an exami-
animals. Withholding times minimize drug residue in nation for each. They also enforce the practice act and
meat and milk. It is the time necessary for animals to hand out judgments and penalties for violations.
metabolize all traces of these medications before they The main purpose of a practice act is to protect the
can be slaughtered, or the milk sold for consumption. consumer and public health from incompetent and
The farad.org website contains a full list per species of fraudulent veterinary actions. The practice act dictates
drugs and their withholding times. what the practice of veterinary medicine is, who can call
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is part themselves a veterinarian and act as such in a veterinary
of the US Department of Justice. Their influence in practice, as well as various state laws and rules of conduct
veterinary medicine is the regulation of controlled drugs as they pertain to animals and the public. Violation of
such as anesthetics, pain medications, and euthanasia these laws represent the practice of veterinary medicine
solutions. These drugs have a high incidence of addic- without a license, which is prosecutable. Because each
tion thereby requiring a veterinarian to obtain a DEA state has their own laws and culture, most require a vet-
license in order to use them. Accurate records of their erinarian to pass their state licensing exam. This means
storage and use in a veterinary practice is required. a veterinarian licensed in one state cannot practice
Surprise inspections can occur and if there are discrep- veterinary medicine in another state. Some states do
ancies legal action and loss of the license to practice have reciprocity, but most do not. Veterinary technicians
veterinary medicine could occur. For more information can have their VTNE scores transferred to another state
about these drugs see Chapter 13 on Pharmacy Skills. and, if accepted, is credentialed in that state. Veterinary
assistants with a National Association of Veterinary
Technicians in America (NAVTA) certificate can work in
Learning Exercise any state.
The practice act can also provide guidelines as to what
• Which government agency inspects research veterinary staff may do within a practice. This is usually
and teaching facilities? delineated by levels of supervision such as direct/
• Which US agency is responsible for making sure immediate supervision or indirect/remote supervision.
imported food, drugs, and devices are safe? In most states it is up to the veterinarian to determine
• Who is responsible for reviewing research and the competence of the staff members before delegating
teaching protocols within a facility? a task. The veterinarian is directly responsible for the
• Which state agency regulates drugs that have actions of the staff and if a mistake is made it is the veter-
a high incidence of addition? inarian who will be held responsible including legal ram-
• Which group is responsible for enforcing drug ifications and loss of license.
withholding times? The last major topic of discussion about practice acts
is the establishment of the veterinarian–client–patient