Veterinary Medical Board Report

The California Veterinary Medical Board (VMB) and its Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee (MDC) convened on October 20–22, 2021. CVMA Executive Director Dan Baxter, Director of Regulatory Affairs Dr. Grant Miller, Registered Veterinary Technician liaison Marie Ussery, and veterinarian liaison Dr. Ken Pawlowski attended the online meetings on behalf of the CVMA. The following items were discussed during the recent meetings.

Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee

The MDC appointed Dr. Richard Sullivan as the new committee chair and Leah Shufelt, RVT as the new vicechair. Kristi Pawlowski, RVT is terming off the committee and will be missed for her tireless dedication and leadership.

Veterinary Medical Board

The VMB appointed Marie Ussery, RVT as a new member of the MDC. In addition, the VMB elected Kathy Bowler as its next President and Dr. Christina Bradbury as its next Vice President.

The VMB also reported on a collaborative effort with the California Board of Pharmacy to address pharmacist misconception that veterinarians are required to have a National Provider Identification (NPI) number for purposes of writing prescriptions. Veterinarians are not eligible for NPI numbers and are left at an impasse when pharmacies will not fill prescriptions written for animal patients. The VMB will continue to address this issue. With the passage of California’s new canine community blood bank bill (AB 1282), the VMB directed the MDC to research blood collection best practices as they relate to veterinary practices so that the VMB can prepare for the new regulatory oversight requirements that commence on January 1, 2022.

The VMB voted to advance in the regulatory process the following rulemaking packages:

1. Disciplinary Guidelines—over the past seven years the VMB has worked on a “cover-to-cover” update of its published disciplinary guidelines, which include substantial changes

2. Animal Physical Rehabilitation—this proposed regulation determines who may perform animal rehabilitation in California and specifies the required levels of veterinary supervision

3. Drug Compounding—this regulation provides minimum standards for compounding that takes place within veterinary practices

The VMB also voted to introduce legislation in 2022 defining veterinary telehealth, teleconsultation, telemedicine, and teletriage in statute.

CVMA Members Sought for 2022 AVMA Council and Committee Positions

The CVMA is seeking candidates to apply for AVMA council and committee positions! Terms for these positions start in 2022 and require a three-year commitment. Qualified candidates will be nominated by the CVMA Board of Governors at its January 2022 meeting. CVMA and AVMA membership is required for all who apply.

Council and committee nomination materials, including descriptions and a complete list of vacancies, are available at avma.org. Click on the Membership tab and then Volunteer Opportunities for more information, to apply to a position, or to sign up for email alerts regarding available positions.

Positions are available on the following councils:

 Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents

 Council on Public Health

 Council on Research

 Council on Veterinary Service

Positions are available on the following committees:

 Animal Welfare Committee

 Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Committee

 Clinical Practitioners Advisory Committee

 Committee on Antimicrobials

 Committee on Disaster and Emergency Issues

 Committee on Environmental Issues

 Committee on International Veterinary Affairs

 Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities Selection Committee

 Convention Education Program Committee

 Council on Education Selection Committee

 Early Career Development Committee

 Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates

 Food Safety Advisory Committee

 Legislative Advisory Committee

 Political Action Committee Board

 State Advocacy Committee

 Steering Committee on Human-Animal Interactions

 Veterinary Economics Strategy Committee

 Veterinary Leadership Conference Planning Committee

For more information, contact AVMA liaisons Dr. Bill Grant at vets4pets@aol.com or Dr. Diane Craig at drdrc@aol.com, or call the CVMA office at 800.655.2862.