Section 485.3 - DefinitionsAs used in this act:
(1) "Board" means the Pennsylvania State Board of Veterinary Medicine.(2) "Hearing" means any proceeding initiated before the board in which the legal rights, duties, privileges or immunities of a specific party or parties are determined.(3) "Complainant" means the board or any other person who initiates a proceeding.(4) "Respondent" means any person against whom a proceeding is initiated.(5) "Current licensee or certificate holder" means the holder of a current license to practice veterinary medicine or the holder of a certificate of veterinary technician, which license or certificate was issued under this act and which has not been suspended or revoked and has not expired.(6) "Temporary permit" means temporary permission to practice veterinary medicine issued pursuant to section 10. (7) "Veterinary college" means any board-approved veterinary school, legally organized, that is accredited by an accrediting agency for veterinary medicine programs recognized by the United States Department of Education.(8) "Licensed doctor of veterinary medicine" means a person qualified by educational training and experience in the science and techniques of veterinary medicine and who is currently licensed by the board to practice veterinary medicine.(9) "Veterinary medicine" means that branch of medicine which deals with the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, administration, prescription, operation or manipulation or application of any apparatus or appliance for any disease, pain, deformity, defect, injury, wound, physical condition or mental condition requiring medication of any animal or for the prevention of or the testing for the presence of any disease.(10) "Practice of veterinary medicine" includes, but is not limited to, the practice by any person who (i) diagnoses, treats, corrects, changes, relieves or prevents animal disease, deformity, injury or other physical, mental or dental conditions by any method or mode, including the prescription or administration of any drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, application, anesthetic or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or technique, (ii) performs a surgical operation, including cosmetic surgery, upon any animal, (iii) performs any manual procedure upon an animal for the diagnosis or treatment of sterility or infertility of animals, (iv) represents himself as engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine, (v) offers, undertakes, or holds himself out as being able to diagnose, treat, operate, vaccinate, or prescribe for any animal disease, pain, injury, deformity, or physical condition, (vi) uses any words, letters, or titles in such connection or under such circumstances as to induce the belief that the person using them is engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine and such use shall be prima facie evidence of the intention to represent himself as engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine, (vii) performs diagnostic veterinary pathology, (viii) implants electronic identification, as determined by the board, upon any animal, (ix) renders advice or recommendation by any means, including the electronic transmission of data with regard to any of the above, or (x) removes any embryo from an animal for the purpose of transferring such embryo into another animal or cryopreserving such embryo, except it shall not be considered the practice of veterinary medicine when: (a) a person or his full-time employe removes or transfers an embryo from the person's own animals for the purpose of transferring or cryopreserving the embryo so long as ownership of the animal is not transferred or employment of the person is not changed for the purpose of circumventing this act or (b) a person independently, with indirect veterinary supervision, implants any embryo into an animal. (11) Deleted by 2002, Dec. 9, P.L. 1370, No. 167, § 1, effective in 60 days.(12) "Veterinary technology" means the science and art of providing all aspects of professional medical care and treatment for animals as determined by board regulation, with the exception of diagnosis, prognosis, surgery and prescription of medications. The term includes, but is not limited to, surgical nursing, induction and maintenance of anesthesia, preparation and dispensing of pharmaceuticals, biologicals and ectoparasiticides, administration of medication by all routes, dental prophylaxis, performance of diagnostic imaging, physical examinations, emergency and critical care nursing, including catheterization by all routes, collection and administration of blood products, external cardiopulmonary resuscitation and performing laboratory procedures in hematology, clinical chemistry, parasitology and microbiology.(13) "Certified veterinary technician" means an individual who has successfully completed a board-approved post-high school program of veterinary technology accredited by an accrediting agency for veterinary technology programs recognized by the United States Department of Education, is certified by the board as a veterinary technician and who may practice veterinary technology under appropriate supervision of a licensed veterinarian as defined by board regulation. Unless authorized to practice veterinary technology under this act, an individual may not practice veterinary technology nor use the title "certified veterinary technician" or the abbreviation "CVT."(14) "Veterinary assistant" means an employe of a veterinarian who does not hold certification as a veterinary technician and whom the veterinarian deems competent to perform tasks involved in the care and treatment of animals as defined by board regulation.(15) "Veterinarian-client-patient relationship" means a relationship satisfying all of the following conditions: (i) the veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making veterinary medical judgments regarding the health of an animal and the need for veterinary medical treatment, and the client, owner or caretaker of the animal has agreed to follow the instructions of the veterinarian; (ii) the veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of the animal to initiate at least a general, preliminary or tentative diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal; (iii) the veterinarian is acquainted with the keeping and care of the animal by virtue of an examination of the animal or medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal is kept; (iv) the veterinarian is available for consultation in cases of adverse reactions to or failure of the regimen of therapy; (v) the veterinarian maintains records on the animal examined in accordance with regulations established by the board. 1974, Dec. 27, P.L. 995, No. 326, §3. Amended 1986 , May 9, P.L. 166, No. 54, § 1, imd. effective; 2002, Dec. 9, P.L. 1370, No. 167, § 1, effective in 60 days.