Effective 28 Aug 2004

340.200. Definitions. — When used in sections 340.200 to 340.330, the following terms mean:

(1) "Accredited school of veterinary medicine", any veterinary college or division of a university or college that offers the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine or its equivalent and is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA);

(2) "Animal", any wild, exotic or domestic, living or dead animal or mammal other than man, including birds, fish and reptiles;

(3) "Applicant", an individual who files an application to be licensed to practice veterinary medicine or to be registered as a veterinary technician;

(4) "Appointed member of the board", regularly appointed members of the Missouri veterinary medical board, not including the state veterinarian who serves on the board ex officio;

(5) "Board", the Missouri veterinary medical board;

(6) "Consulting veterinarian", a veterinarian licensed in another state, country or territory who gives advice or demonstrates techniques to a licensed Missouri veterinarian or group of licensed Missouri veterinarians;

(7) "ECFVG certificate", a certificate issued by the American Veterinary Medical Association Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates or its successor. The certificate must indicate that the holder of the certificate has demonstrated knowledge and skill equivalent to that possessed by a graduate of an accredited school of veterinary medicine;

(8) "Emergency", when an animal has been placed in a life-threatening condition and immediate treatment is necessary to sustain life or where death is imminent and action is necessary to relieve pain or suffering;

(9) "Faculty member", full professors, assistant professors, associate professors, clinical instructors and residents but does not include interns or adjunct appointments;

(10) "Foreign veterinary graduate", any person, including foreign nationals and American citizens, who has received a professional veterinary medical degree from an AVMA listed veterinary college located outside the boundaries of the United States, its territories or Canada, that is not accredited by the AVMA;

(11) "License", any permit, approval, registration or certificate issued or renewed by the board;

(12) "Licensed veterinarian", an individual who is validly and currently licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Missouri as determined by the board in accordance with the requirements and provisions of sections 340.200 to 340.330;

(13) "Minimum standards", standards as set by board rule and which establish the minimum requirements for the practice of veterinary medicine in the state of Missouri as are consistent with the intent and purpose of sections 340.200 to 340.330;

(14) "Person", any individual, firm, partnership, association, joint venture, cooperative or corporation or any other group or combination acting in concert; whether or not acting as principal, trustee, fiduciary, receiver, or as any kind of legal or personal representative or as the successor in interest, assigning agent, factor, servant, employee, director, officer or any other representative of such person;

(15) "Practice of veterinary medicine", to represent directly, indirectly, publicly or privately an ability and willingness to do any act described in subdivision (28) of this section;

(16) "Provisional license", a license issued to a person while that person is engaged in a veterinary candidacy program;

(17) "Registered veterinary technician", a person who is formally trained for the specific purpose of assisting a licensed veterinarian with technical services under the appropriate level of supervision as is consistent with the particular delegated animal health care task;

(18) "Supervision":

(a) "Immediate supervision", the licensed veterinarian is in the immediate area and within audible and visual range of the animal patient and the person treating the patient;

(b) "Direct supervision", the licensed veterinarian is on the premises where the animal is being treated and is quickly and easily available and the animal has been examined by a licensed veterinarian at such times as acceptable veterinary medical practice requires consistent with the particular delegated animal health care task;

(c) "Indirect supervision", the licensed veterinarian need not be on the premises but has given either written or oral instructions for the treatment of the animal patient or treatment protocol has been established 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; provided that the patient is not in a surgical plane of anesthesia and the licensed veterinarian is available for consultation on at least a daily basis;

(19) "Supervisor", a licensed veterinarian employing or utilizing the services of a registered veterinary technician, veterinary intern, temporary provisional licensee, veterinary medical student, unregistered assistant or any other individual working under that veterinarian's supervision;

(20) "Temporary license", any temporary permission to practice veterinary medicine issued by the board pursuant to section 340.248;

(21) "Unregistered assistant", any individual who is not a registered veterinary technician or licensed veterinarian and is employed by a licensed veterinarian;

(22) "Veterinarian", "doctor of veterinary medicine", "DVM", "VMD", or equivalent title, a person who has received a doctor's degree in veterinary medicine from an accredited school of veterinary medicine or holds a ECFVG certificate issued by the AVMA;

(23) "Veterinarian-client-patient relationship", the veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making medical judgments regarding the health of the animal and the need for medical treatment, and the client, owner or owner's agent has agreed to follow the instructions of the veterinarian. There is sufficient knowledge of the animal by the veterinarian to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal. Veterinarian-client-patient relationship means that the veterinarian has recently seen and is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the animal by virtue of an examination or by medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal is kept. The practicing veterinarian is readily available for follow-up care in case of adverse reactions or failure of the prescribed course of therapy;

(24) "Veterinary candidacy program", a program by which a person who has received a doctor of veterinary medicine or equivalent degree from an accredited school of veterinary medicine can obtain the practical experience required for licensing in Missouri pursuant to sections 340.200 to 340.330;

(25) "Veterinary facility", any place or unit from which the practice of veterinary medicine is conducted, including but not limited to the following:

(a) "Veterinary or animal hospital or clinic", a facility that meets or exceeds all physical requirements and minimum standards as established by board rule for veterinary facilities; provides quality examination, diagnostic and health maintenance services for medical and surgical treatment of animals and is equipped to provide housing and nursing care for animals during illness or convalescence;

(b) "Specialty practice or clinic", a facility that provides complete specialty service by a licensed veterinarian who has advanced training in a specialty and is a diplomate of an approved specialty board. A specialty practice or clinic shall meet all minimum standards which are applicable to a specialty as established by board rule;

(c) "Central hospital", a facility that meets all requirements of a veterinary or animal hospital or clinic as defined in paragraph (a) of this subdivision and other requirements as established by board rule, and which provides specialized care, including but not limited to twenty-four-hour nursing care and specialty consultation on permanent or on-call basis. A central hospital shall be utilized primarily on referral from area veterinary hospitals or clinics;

(d) "Satellite, outpatient or mobile small animal clinic", a supportive facility owned by or associated with and has ready access to a full-service veterinary hospital or clinic or a central hospital providing all mandatory services and meeting all physical requirements and minimum standards as established by sections 340.200 to 340.330 or by board rule;

(e) "Large animal mobile clinic", a facility that provides examination, diagnostic and preventive medicine and minor surgical services for large animals not requiring confinement or hospitalization;

(f) "Emergency clinic", a facility established to receive patients and to treat illnesses and injuries of an emergency nature;

(26) "Veterinary candidate", a person who has received a doctor of veterinary medicine or equivalent degree from an accredited school or college of veterinary medicine and who is working under the supervision of a board-approved licensed veterinarian;

(27) "Veterinary intern", a person who has received a doctor of veterinary medicine or equivalent degree from an accredited school or college of veterinary medicine and who is participating in additional clinical training in veterinary medicine to prepare for AVMA-recognized certification or specialization;

(28) "Veterinary medicine", the science of diagnosing, treating, changing, alleviating, rectifying, curing or preventing any animal disease, deformity, defect, injury or other physical or mental condition, including, but not limited to, the prescription or administration of any drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, application, anesthesia or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or technique on any animal, including, but not limited to, acupuncture, dentistry, animal psychology, animal chiropractic, theriogenology, surgery, both general and cosmetic surgery, any manual, mechanical, biological or chemical procedure for testing for pregnancy or for correcting sterility or infertility or to render service or recommendations with regard to any of the procedures in this paragraph;

(29) "Veterinary student preceptee", a person who is pursuing a veterinary degree in an accredited school of veterinary medicine which has a preceptor program and who has completed the academic requirements of such program.

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(L. 1992 H.B. 878 § 1, A.L. 1999 S.B. 424, A.L. 2004 H.B. 869)