Scope of Practice: Licensed Veterinary Technician

Scope of Practice: Licensed Veterinary Technician

Chapter 700-15

Supervision Responsibilities

LICENSED VETERINARY TECHNICIANS

Rule 700-14-.01 Immediate Supervision

(1) Immediate Supervision means that the duly licensed veterinarian is in audible and in visual range of the animal patient and the person treating the animal.

(2) A veterinary technician working under the direction, supervision and control of a duly licensed veterinarian may provide the following animal patient care under immediate supervision:

(a) Surgical assistance.

Rule 700-14-.02 Direct Supervision

(1) Direct supervision means that the duly licensed veterinarian is on the premises and is quickly and easily available and that the animal patient has been examined by a licensed veterinarian at such time as acceptable veterinary medical practice requires, consistent with the particular delegated animal health care task.

(2) A veterinary technician working under the direction, supervision and control of a duly licensed veterinarian may provide the following animal patient care under direct supervision:

(a) Euthanasia;

(b) Administration of blood or blood components to animal patients;

(c) Application of splints and slings;

(d) Dental procedures including, but not limited to the removal of calculus, soft deposits, plaque and stains; the smoothing, filing, and polishing of teeth; or the floatation or dressing of equine teeth;

(e) Non-emergency intubations;

(f) Induce anesthesia;

(g) Maintenance of anesthesia;

(h) Assisting any duly licensed veterinarian in the measuring of quantities of medication, but excluding the dispensing, compounding, or mixing of drugs;

(i) Dental extraction not requiring sectioning of the tooth or the resectioning of bone;

(j) Perform central venous; and

(k) Perform arterial catherization/arterial collection.

Rule 700-14-.03 Indirect Supervision

(1) Indirect supervision means the duly licensed veterinarian is not on the premises but has given either written or oral instructions for the treatment of the animal patient and the animal has been examined by a licensed veterinarian at such times as acceptable veterinary medical practice requires, consistent with the particular delegated health care task.

(2) A veterinary technician working under the direction, supervision and control of a duly licensed veterinarian may provide the following animal patient care under indirect supervision:

(a) Administration and application of treatments, drugs, medications and immunological agents by oral, IM and subqutaneous routes, excluding rabies vaccine for animals required to receive a rabies vaccine by Georgia law;

(b) Administration and application of treatments, drugs, medications and immunological agents by intravenous routes.

(c) Radiography including settings, positioning, processing, and safety procedures;

(d) Collection of blood for diagnostic purposes; collection of urine by expression, or catheterization; collection of feces; collection and preparation of tissue, cellular, or microbiological samples by skin scrapings, impressions, or other non-surgical methods for diagnostic purposes;

(e) Routine laboratory test procedures;

(f) Collection of urine by cystocentesis; and

(g) Blood or blood component collection and preparation for transfusion.

(3) A veterinary technician working under the direction, supervision and control of a duly licensed veterinarian may provide the following emergency animal patient care under indirect supervision:

(a) Application of tourniquets and/or pressure bandages to control hemorrhage;

(b) Resuscitative procedures;

(c) Application of temporary splints or bandages to prevent further injury to bones or soft tissues;

(d) Application of appropriate wound dressings and external supportive treatment in severe wound and burn cases; and

(e) External supportive treatment in heat prostration cases.

(4) Grooming procedures and non-invasive skin (topical) treatment; and

(5) Handling of biohazardous waste materials.

Rule 700-14-.04 Restrictions

(1) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to permit a veterinary technician to do the following:

(a) Make any diagnosis or prognosis;

(b) Prescribe any treatments, drugs, medications, or appliances;

(c) Perform surgery; or

(d) Administer a rabies vaccine to any official vaccinate.

The information on this website is collected from the Georgia Secretary of State website for the Board of Veterinary Medicine. The GVMA does not verify the accuracy or completeness of this information, which is provided on an “AS-IS” basis without warranty of any kind. In other words, this information may be out of date, incomplete, or have inaccuracies, and we recommend that you check the source material rather than relying solely on this reproduction of statutes and rules. This website is intended for educational and general knowledge sharing among the veterinary profession only.