The state veterinary medical licensing board shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code establishing standards for approving and designating physicians and facilities as treatment providers for veterinarians with substance abuse problems and shall approve and designate treatment providers in accordance with the rules. The rules shall include standards for both inpatient and outpatient treatment. The rules shall provide that to be approved, a treatment provider must be capable of making an initial examination to determine the type of treatment required for a veterinarian with substance abuse problems. Subject to the rules, the board shall review and approve treatment providers on a regular basis and may, at its discretion, withdraw or deny approval.

An approved treatment provider shall:

(A) Report to the board the name of any veterinarian suffering or showing evidence of suffering impairment by reason of alcohol or drug addiction as described in division (A)(3) of section 4741.22 of the Revised Code who fails to comply within one week with a referral for examination;

(B) Report to the board the name of any impaired veterinarian who fails to enter treatment within forty-eight hours following the provider's determination that the veterinarian needs treatment;

(C) Require every veterinarian who enters treatment to agree to a treatment contract establishing the terms of treatment and aftercare, including any required supervision or restrictions of practice during treatment or aftercare;

(D) Require a veterinarian to suspend practice on entering any required inpatient treatment;

(E) Report to the board any failure by an impaired veterinarian to comply with the terms of the treatment contract during inpatient or outpatient treatment or aftercare;

(F) Report to the board the resumption of practice of any impaired veterinarian before the treatment provider has made a clear determination that the veterinarian is capable of practicing according to acceptable and prevailing standards of care;

(G) Require a veterinarian who resumes practice after completion of treatment to comply with an aftercare contract that meets the requirements of rules adopted by the board for approval of treatment providers;

(H) Report to the board any veterinarian who suffers a relapse at any time during or following aftercare.

Any veterinarian who enters into treatment by an approved treatment provider shall be deemed to have waived any confidentiality requirements that would otherwise prevent the treatment provider from making reports required under this section.

In the absence of fraud or bad faith, no professional association of veterinarians licensed under this chapter that sponsors a committee or program to provide peer assistance to veterinarians with substance abuse problems, no representative or agent of such a committee or program, and no member of the state veterinary medical licensing board shall be liable to any person for damages in a civil action by reason of actions taken to refer a veterinarian to a treatment provider designated by the board or actions or omissions of the provider in treating a veterinarian.

In the absence of fraud or bad faith, no person who reports to the board a veterinarian with a suspected substance abuse problem shall be liable to any person for damages in a civil action as a result of the report.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Effective Date: 03-27-1991; 10-12-2006