WHAT TO KNOW:
The bill looks to provide provisions and definitions surrounding telemedicine for Veterinarians within the Practice Act.
SB 105 by Senator Jason Anavitarte was heard in the Senate Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee on Tuesday, February 18th.
The Veterinary Practice Act is the foundational legal framework governing veterinary practice in Georgia.
It is designed to ensure the health and welfare of both animals and the public by regulating the professional conduct, educational requirements and minimum standards that licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians abide by.
During the pandemic, the need for veterinary teleservices became apparent when it was a challenge for clients to bring their animals to the veterinarian’s office. In addition, there is an ongoing recognized veterinary shortage within rural areas of our state which adds to the challenges producers face when there is a critical problem and their veterinarian cannot make it out to the farm that day.
Veterinary medicine is complex in nature and one of the foundations of this profession is the Veterinary – Client – Patient – Relationship or VCPR. This relationship is the basis for the veterinarian to have intimate knowledge of the animal or group of animals so they can make decisions including a medical diagnosis, formulate a treatment plan, prescribe medications, write health certificates and sign Veterinary Feed Directives.
Once a VCPR has been established, the veterinarian can use telemedicine as a complement to providing care. However, the Veterinary Practice Act currently does not provide definitions or standards on veterinary telehealth services.
This bill will amend the Veterinary Practice Act to authorize licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians to practice veterinary tele-advice and veterinary teletriage, to authorize licensed veterinarians to practice veterinary telemedicine and will expand the Veterinary-Client-Patient-Relationship.
The key provisions in S.B. 105 are:
- Provides definitions for veterinary teleadvice, teletriage and medicine. Veterinary telemedicine can be conducted through phone calls, text messaging or video. The existing statute does not have basic definitions to distinguish between different teleservices or guidance for who can provide these services.
- Extends the Veterinary Client Patient Relationship to all licensed veterinarians employed at the same veterinary facility. As the VCPR is currently limited to the individual veterinarian – other veterinarians in the practice have no authority to make decisions for an animal if the veterinarian who holds the VCPR is not available. As electronic recordkeeping has been adopted in veterinary practices– it is easier for multiple veterinarians in the same facility to access the patient’s complete medical records and make appropriate decisions specific to that animal. Extending the VCPR to fellow associates in the same physical practice will increase access to care for pet owners and producers.
- Includes regulatory oversight by the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine which ensures oversight and accountability to prevent veterinarians or veterinary technicians not licensed in the state of Georgia from exploiting teleservices for unethical practices. We have also ensured the bill is in accordance with federal regulations, USDA accreditation, and state standards.
- Creates standards for veterinary teleservices while remaining compliant with state and federal prescribing laws.
- Creates a carve out for veterinarians to practice veterinary telemedicine without a VCPR in areas of veterinary deserts. During the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, this bill would have helped farmers and producers reach a veterinarian for not only triage services but veterinary telemedicine services when the roads were impassable due to downed trees and power lines. The carve out is very specific and requires a veterinarian or veterinary technician to not be within a 50 mile radius and a veterinarian cannot arrive to the animal’s location within a 24 hour period.
Establishing a VCPR through means other than in-person has been a threat to veterinarians in Georgia.
This bill, if enacted, will preserve telehealth services exclusively for licensed veterinarians and veterinary technicians in the state. Additionally, it offers a solution for animal owners in underserved areas. The success of this bill, if it becomes law, will rely on veterinary hospitals embracing telehealth services for their clients.
