Ohio Code 4741.19 – Practice without license – student interns
(A) Unless exempted under this chapter, no person shall practice veterinary medicine, or any of its branches, without a license or limited license issued by the state veterinary medical licensing board pursuant to sections 4741.11 to 4741.13 of the Revised Code, a temporary permit issued pursuant to section 4741.14 of the Revised Code, or a registration certificate issued pursuant to division (C) of this section, or with an inactive, expired, suspended, terminated, or revoked license, temporary permit, or registration.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 4741.19
- Allied medical support: means a licensed dentist, physician, chiropractor, or physical therapist who is in good standing as determined under Chapter 4715. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- Animal: means any animal other than a human being and includes fowl, birds, fish, and reptiles, wild or domestic, living or dead. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- Another: when used to designate the owner of property which is the subject of an offense, includes not only natural persons but also every other owner of property. See Ohio Code 1.02
- Client: means the patient's owner, owner's agent, or other person responsible for the patient. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Direct veterinary supervision: means a licensed veterinarian is in the immediate area and within audible range, visual range, or both, of a patient and the person administering to the patient. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- Embryo transfer: means the removal of an embryo ovum from the reproductive tract of an animal and its transfer to the reproductive tract of another animal for the purpose of gestation and birth. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures; this provision does not affect any law relating to signatures. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Licensed veterinarian: means a person licensed by the board to practice veterinary medicine. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- Patient: means an animal that is examined or treated by a licensed veterinarian. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- practice of veterinary medicine: means the practice of any person who performs any of the following actions:
(1) Diagnoses, prevents, or treats any disease, illness, pain, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical, mental, or dental condition of any animal;
(2) Administers to or performs any medical or surgical technique on any animal that has any disease, illness, pain, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical, mental, or dental condition or performs a surgical procedure on any animal;
(3) Prescribes, applies, or dispenses any drug, medicine, biologic, anesthetic, or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance, or applies any apparatus for any disease, illness, pain, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical, mental, or dental condition of any animal;
(4) Uses complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies on animals;
(5) Renders professional advice or recommendation by any means, including telephonic or other electronic communication with regard to any activity described in divisions (B)(1) to (4) of this section;
(6) Represents the person's self, directly or indirectly, publicly or privately, as having the ability and willingness to perform an act described in divisions (B)(1) to (4) of this section;
(7) Uses any words, letters, abbreviations, or titles in such connection and under such circumstances as to induce the belief that the person using them is engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- Registered veterinary technician: means a person who is a graduate of a veterinary technology college approved by the state veterinary medical licensing board, has successfully passed an examination approved by the board, and maintains registration eligibility status in accordance with rules adopted by the board. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- Rule: includes regulation. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Specialist: means a licensed veterinarian who is certified by a veterinary specialty board of a professional veterinary association recognized by rule of the state veterinary medical licensing board. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Veterinary student: means a student enrolled in a college of veterinary medicine or a veterinary technology college approved by the board and who is working with a licensed veterinarian. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- Veterinary supervision: means instruction and directions by a licensed veterinarian on the premises or by a licensed veterinarian who is readily available to communicate with a person requiring supervision. See Ohio Code 4741.01
- Veterinary-client-patient-relationship: means a relationship that meets the requirements of section 4741. See Ohio Code 4741.01
(B) No veterinary student shall:
(1) Perform or assist surgery unless under direct veterinary supervision and unless the student has had the minimum education and experience prescribed by rule of the board;
(2) Engage in any other work related to the practice of veterinary medicine unless under veterinary supervision;
(3) Participate in the operation of a branch office, clinic, or allied establishment unless a licensed veterinarian is present on the establishment premises.
(C) No person shall act as a registered veterinary technician unless the person is registered with the board on a biennial basis and pays the biennial registration fee. A registered veterinary technician registration expires biennially on the first day of March in the odd-numbered years and may be renewed in accordance with the standard renewal procedures contained in Chapter 4745 of the Revised Code upon payment of the biennial registration fee and fulfillment of ten continuing education hours during the two years immediately preceding renewal for registration. Each registered veterinary technician shall notify in writing the executive director of the board of any change in the registered veterinary technician’s office address or employment within ninety days after the change has taken place.
(1) A registered veterinary technician operating under veterinary supervision may perform the following duties:
(a) Prepare or supervise the preparation of patients, instruments, equipment, and medications for surgery;
(b) Collect or supervise the collection of specimens and perform laboratory procedures as required by the supervising veterinarian;
(c) Apply wound dressings, casts, or splints as required by the supervising veterinarian;
(d) Assist a veterinarian in immunologic, diagnostic, medical, and surgical procedures;
(e) Suture skin incisions;
(f) Administer or supervise the administration of topical, oral, or parenteral medication under the direction of the supervising veterinarian;
(g) Other ancillary veterinary technician functions that are performed pursuant to the order and control and under the full responsibility of a licensed veterinarian.
(h) Any additional duties as established by the board in rule.
(2) A registered veterinary technician operating under direct veterinary supervision may perform all of the following:
(a) Induce and monitor general anesthesia according to medically recognized and appropriate methods;
(b) Dental prophylaxis, periodontal care, and extraction not involving sectioning of teeth or resection of bone or both of these;
(c) Equine dental procedures, including the floating of molars, premolars, and canine teeth; removal of deciduous teeth; and the extraction of first premolars or wolf teeth.
The degree of supervision by a licensed veterinarian over the functions performed by the registered veterinary technician shall be consistent with the standards of generally accepted veterinary medical practices.
(3) The board shall issue a registration to be a veterinary technician in accordance with Chapter 4796 of the Revised Code to an applicant if either of the following applies:
(a) The applicant holds a similar registration or license in another state.
(b) The applicant has satisfactory work experience, a government certification, or a private certification as described in that chapter as a veterinary technician in a state that does not issue that registration or license.
(D) A veterinarian licensed to practice in this state shall not present the person’s self as or state a claim that the person is a specialist unless the veterinarian has previously met the requirements for certification by a specialty organization recognized by the American board of veterinary specialties for a specialty or such other requirements set by rule of the board and has paid the fee required by division (A)(10) of section 4741.17 of the Revised Code.
The board shall issue a certification as a veterinary specialist in accordance with Chapter 4796 of the Revised Code to an applicant if the applicant holds a certification as a specialist in another state or has satisfactory work experience, a government certification, or a private certification as described in that chapter as a veterinary specialist in a state that does not issue that certification.
(E) Notwithstanding division (A) of this section, any animal owner or the owner’s designee may engage in the practice of embryo transfer on the owner’s animal if a licensed veterinarian directly supervises the owner or the owner’s designee and the means used to perform the embryo transfer are nonsurgical.
(F) Allied medical support may assist a licensed veterinarian to the extent to which the law that governs the individual providing the support permits, if all of the following apply:
(1) A valid veterinary-client-patient-relationship exists.
(2) The individual acts under direct veterinary supervision.
(3) The allied medical support individual receives informed, written, client consent.
(4) The veterinarian maintains responsibility for the patient and keeps the patient’s medical records.
The board may inspect the facilities of an allied medical support individual in connection with an investigation based on a complaint received in accordance with section 4741.26 of the Revised Code involving that individual.
Last updated December 29, 2023 at 6:07 AM