Ala. Admin. Code r. 930-X-1-.31

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 930-X-1-.31 - Premises Permits

(1) All veterinary facilities must acquire a premises permit. The owner and all associate veterinarians must be listed on the premises permit.

(2) All licensed veterinarians owning or associated with the premises shall be individually responsible for management of the premises. Short term relief veterinarians without management responsibilities will not be required to be listed on the premises permit.

(3) Premises permits must be displayed within the practice in such a manner as to be easily viewed by the public.

(4) All service agreements for any premises, including after hour emergency agreements and other supportive agreements, must be displayed with phone numbers and addresses within the practice in such a manner as to be easily viewed by the public.

(5) All licensed veterinarians owning or the primary administrative contact veterinarian with the premises, shall be individually responsible for immediately reporting to the Board any changes, modifications, or terminations of any service agreements.

(6) An applicant for an initial premises permit must allow ample time for the Board to process the premises permit application. When an application, which is not for a renewal or change in ownership or association, requires an evaluation or inspection, the applicant must file a complete application at least 90 days before the permit is needed. All new veterinary facilities must complete a premises permit application and remit the inspection fee along with all required documents to the Board office. Evaluations or inspections will not be scheduled for incomplete premises applications even when the applicant believes that the missing information is minor, incidental, or unimportant. The Board has a limited number of inspectors and to ensure that all applicants receive premises permits timely, the Board will strictly adhere to an inspection schedule. An Inspector/Compliance Officer will contact the veterinarian to schedule an inspection date. Upon meeting or exceeding all mandatory minimum standards the Board will issue a premises permit.

(7) In the event a facility fails to pass an initial premises inspection/evaluation, applicant must correct any deficiencies, complete a new premises permit application, and pay the premises evaluation failure reinspection fee. An Inspector/Compliance Officer will contact the veterinarian to schedule the reinspection. It may be up to 120 days after the Board is notified that the premises are ready for reinspection before the premises are reevaluated.

(8) The application must designate one veterinarian as the primary administrative contact to work with the Board. The administrative contact veterinarian for the facility shall be the individual responsible for ensuring and coordinating administrative compliance with the practice act and the rules of the administrative code. The administrative contact veterinarian is individually responsible for written, telephonic, and electronic communication to and from the Board. This may not be delegated to administrative staff.

(9) Upon meeting the requirements of the practice act and the administrative code, including applicable mandatory minimum standards for facilities, the following types of premises permits are available:

(a) Veterinary or Animal Hospital or Clinic- available only for a facility providing quality examination, diagnostic, and health maintenance services for medical and surgical treatment of animals, including housing and nursing care for animals during illness and convalescence. Veterinarians working out of these facilities may make occasional house or farm calls to treat animals at the owner/client's premises without becoming a mobile clinic when reasonable circumstances prevent an owner/client from bringing an animal to the facility. A Mobile Small Animal Clinic may be permitted as a full-service clinic by meeting or exceeding all mandatory requirements for both full-service and mobile premises;

(b) Specialty Practice or Specialty Clinic- available only for a facility where veterinarians have advanced training in a specialty, are diplomats of an approved specialty college, and provide complete specialty services. These facilities must meet the minimum standards applicable for all facilities in addition to any minimum standards applicable to the specialty;

(c) Central Hospital- available only for a full-service facility, mainly utilized as a referral facility, and providing specialized care, including 24-hour nursing care and specialty consultation on a permanent or on-call basis, and the facility must also meet the requirements of subsection (a) by providing quality examination, diagnostic, and health maintenance services for medical and surgical treatment of animals, including housing and nursing care for animals during illness and convalescence;

(d) Satellite Clinic- available only for a supportive facility owned by or associated with, by having a service agreement with a permitted veterinary hospital, clinic, or full-service central hospital designated on the premises permit as the primary facility. Veterinarians on the premises permit of the primary facility must verify in the outpatient premises permit application that its outpatient clinic, if offering limited services, has ready access to the primary facility and is located within one hour or 45 miles of the primary facility, and that a veterinarian from the primary facility will be on call during and after the operation of the satellite to render aid, if necessary. In exceptional circumstances, upon approval of the board, the one hour or 45-mile limitation may be extended to a reasonable distance based upon the geographic location of the satellite clinic. Satellite clinics are primarily fixed branch locations of the primary facility and may be full or limited services facilities with necessary service agreements. The operation of any satellite clinic must be under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian who remains on the premises during the entire time of operation;

(e) Outpatient Clinic- available only for a supportive facility owned by or associated with, by having a service agreement with a permitted veterinary hospital, clinic or full-service central hospital designated on the premises permit as the primary facility. An outpatient clinic is mainly utilized for wellness and minor medical issues not requiring general anesthesia, surgery, or hospitalization. Veterinarians on the premises permit of the primary facility must verify in the outpatient premises permit application that its outpatient clinic, if offering limited services, has ready access to the primary facility and is located within one hour or 45 miles of the primary facility, and that a veterinarian associated with the primary facility will be on call during and after the operation of the outpatient clinic to render aid, if necessary. In exceptional circumstances, upon approval of the board, the one hour or 45-mile limitation may be extended to a reasonable distance based upon the geographic location of the outpatient clinic. The operation of any outpatient clinic must be under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian who remains on the premises during the entire time of operation;

(f) Mobile Small Animal Clinic-available only for a supportive facility owned by or to be associated with by having a service agreement with a permitted veterinary hospital, clinic, or full-service central hospital. The Mobile Small Animal Clinic, the supportive facility, must be added to the premises permit of the primary facility. The veterinarians of the Mobile Small Animal Clinic, the supportive facility, must be listed as veterinarians on the premises permit of the primary facility. Veterinarians on the premises permit of the primary facility must verify in the mobile small animal clinic premises permit application that its mobile small animal clinic, if offering limited services, has ready access to the primary facility and is located within one hour or 45 miles of the primary facility, and that a veterinarian associated with the primary facility will be on call during and after the operation of the mobile small animal clinic to render aid, if necessary. In exceptional circumstances, upon approval of the board, the one hour or 45-mile limitation may be extended to a reasonable distance based on the geographic location of the mobile small animal clinic. The operation of any Mobile Small Animal Clinic must be under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian who remains on the premises during the entire time of operation;

(g) Large Animal Mobile Clinic- available only for a facility providing examination, diagnostic, preventive medicine, and minor surgical services for large animals not requiring confinement of hospitalization, including any other surgeries required by emergencies in the field. Large animal mobile units may be, but are not required to be, self-contained units. Complete hospital facilities may be provided without a service agreement by the nearest large animal hospital or veterinary school. Veterinarians operating out of a Large Animal Mobile Clinic may diagnose and treat an owner/client's small animals on the owner/client's premises without becoming a Mobile Small Animal Clinic;

(h) Emergency Clinic- available only for a treatment facility specializing in emergency veterinary medicine, established to receive patients from the public without prior appointments and to accept referrals from other veterinary facilities, to treat acute injuries and illnesses which require immediate attention, to provide diagnostic and treatment during hours when local veterinary hospitals are normally closed. Emergency clinics shall meet or exceed all mandatory requirements for a full-service facility as provided in subsection (a) as well meet all other requirements of the practice act and the administrative code. Emergency clinics are not required to enter into service agreements with referring veterinarians who are within the same locale.

(10) All licensed veterinarians shall comply with all federal, state, county and municipal laws, ordinances and regulations.

(11) Field Compliance Officers/Inspectors will periodically inspect all veterinary practices operating under a premises permit in accordance with the provisions of the practice act and the administrative code. Inspections will be conducted during normal hours of operation.

(12) The premises permit may be revoked, suspended, or denied and penalties imposed for violations of the practice act, the administrative code, or other applicable law.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 930-X-1-.31

Repealed and New Rule: Filed December 18, 1997; effective January 22, 1998. Amended: Filed January 10, 2007; effective February 14, 2007. Amended: Filed November 28, 2012; effective January 2, 2013.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXVI, Issue No. 09, June 29, 2018, eff. 8/2/2018.

Author: Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, § 34-29-69.