Section 246-933-070 - Emergency services(1) Emergency services shall mean the delivery of veterinary care by a licensed veterinarian during the hours when the majority of regional, daytime veterinary practices have no regularly scheduled office hours (are closed).(2) Emergency service shall be provided at all times. This requirement does not mean that a veterinary medical facility shall be open to the public at all times but that the provision of professional services must be accomplished by appropriate means including the assignment of veterinarians or cooperation between practices or after-hours emergency veterinary medical facilities serving the area. In the absence of an emergency veterinary medical facility serving the area, the phone shall be answered at all times so that inquirers can be told if the veterinarian is available and, if not, where emergency service is available.(3) A veterinarian who represents, in any way, that he or she provides emergency veterinary services, including but not limited to, using names or terms such as "after hours clinic," or "after hours veterinary hospital," or use of the word "emergency" in any way, shall include in all advertisements the following information: The availability of the veterinarian who is to provide emergency services, in print at least as large as that used to advertise the availability of emergency services, as either:
(a) "Veterinarian on premises," or term of like import, which phrase shall be used when there is a veterinarian actually present at the facility who is prepared to render veterinary services and the hours such services are available; or(b) "Veterinarian on call," or term of like import, which phrase shall be used when the veterinarian is not present at the hospital, but is able to respond within a reasonable time to requests for emergency veterinary services and has been designated to so respond.(4) All licensees shall comply with this section by December 1, 1989.Wash. Admin. Code § 246-933-070
Statutory Authority: RCW 18.92.030. 91-24-098 (Order 221B), § 246-933-070, filed 12/4/91, effective 1/4/92; 91-02-060 (Order 108B), recodified as § 246-933-070, filed 12/28/90, effective 1/31/91; 88-08-033 (Order PM 719), § 308-150-013, filed 4/1/88; 86-01-085 (Order PL 575), § 308-150-013, filed 12/18/85.