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An act regulating the practice and licensure of veterinary technicians.
- This bill would establish within the Board of Registration in Veterinary Medicine, a subsidiary board for veterinary technology that would be subject to the control of the board of registration in veterinary medicine.
- The first assignment for the subsidiary board would be to establish rules and regulations for the mandatory licensure of veterinary technicians in Massachusetts.
- The Problem is that, currently in Massachusetts, any person, with any level of experience, can work in a veterinary practice and be called a veterinary technician.
- Complex and costly veterinary medical services should be performed by educated, trained, and licensed veterinary technicians.
- Inducing and monitoring anesthesia
- Taking radiographs
- Performing diagnostic testing
- Providing comprehensive nursing care
- Placing intravenous and urinary catheters
- The Purpose of the bill is to develop and implement quality educational and practice standards for veterinary technicians within the practice of veterinary medicine.
- Licensure would require: 1) completing an American Veterinary Medical Association approved program of study (associate or bachelor’s degree), 2) passing the Veterinary Technician National Exam, and 3) meeting continuing education requirements.
- Forty other states have a state regulated credential system. Only ten, including Massachusetts, still have private organizations overseeing voluntary credential systems.
- Four Massachusetts community colleges offer associate degree veterinary technician programs: Massasoit CC, Holyoke CC, North Shore CC, and Mount Wachusett CC. UMass Amherst offers a four-year bachelor program.
- Employing a higher number of credentialed veterinary technicians per veterinarian is associated with higher clinic revenues. (JAVMA, Vol 236, No. 8, April 15, 2010; ACER Report, Ontario Assoc. of VTs, 01/21/19) Educated and highly skilled veterinary technicians help facilitate clinical appointments and operations more efficiently.
For more information, please contact MVTA Legislation Committee Chair, Erin Spencer, at [email protected]
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