Law & Ethics

The psychological pressure imposed on veterinarians to do something ... occasionally is overwhelming.

When I wrote the first half of this article a few months ago, I had no idea how much interest and how many inquiries I would receive on the subject of so-called "policies." Consequently, I thought I would put together the final piece sooner rather than later. I will admit that the subject is a bit complex, and may not be the most enthralling topic in the world. Nonetheless, it is an important one for veterinary practitioners who are concerned about their estates, their surviving relatives and the quality of care they hope to receive as seniors.

Raleigh, N.C. -- North Carolina has a new veterinary medical board member.

Veterinary school and law-school training actually have quite a bit in common. For example, when I finished each, I soon realized just how huge was the volume of practical things I needed to know but did not.

Editor's Note: Understanding consumer behavior can help you as a clinician and business manager. DVM Newsmagazine asked five veterinary market leaders to join this year's DVM Newsmakers' Summit at CVC East in Baltimore. Following is the last of three excerpts from the panel discussion.

Sacramento, Calif. - Municipalities won't be able to ban state-sanctioned medical practices if a proposed bill passes in California.

Impotent might be the best word to describe a law that would have required almost every cat and dog older than 4 months to be spayed or neutered before the measure was dramatically altered on the California Senate floor.

Wilmington, Del. - A veterinarian, beaten and bruised by churchgoers who subdued him after police say he fired three rounds of ammunition into a crowd of more than 80 at a church fund-raiser May 25, could face the death penalty for allegedly shooting and killing a Delaware church leader.

Mexico - Armed with a book called "The Peaceful Pill," foreign tourists are heading to Mexico to purchase pentobarbital from veterinary-supply stores and backstreet pet shops near the U.S. border.

The demands upon us continue to increase with each advance in technological sophistication.

Camden, N.J. - A federal judge approved a $24 million settlement hammered out a week earlier, aimed at compensating owners of thousands of pets that were sickened or killed by tainted pet foods last year.

Ithaca, N.Y. - Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine broke ground May 22 for the new New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC), an $80.5 million project expected to be completed in 2010.

Schaumburg, Ill. - More than 250 veterinarians and others plan to roll up their sleeves to revive four New Orleans animal shelters during next month's American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) annual convention.

It wouldn't surprise me if a certain percentage of readers who merely scan this month's piece do so because they don't see what relevance the topic could possibly have to the practicing veterinarian. I understand completely because, at first blush, it doesn't seem possible that any "investigations" would need to be carried out in an animal hospital and, even if one did need to be done, how complicated could it be?

Montpelier, vt. - Organized veterinary medicine is going head-to-head with activists in an attempt to convince the Vermont Supreme Court that pet owners have no right to sue for loss of companionship and emotional distress in alleged malpractice cases.

NASHVILLE, TEN. - Sedation before intracardial injection euthanasia soon will be required in Tennessee after a DVM's highly publicized disciplinary case led lawmakers to push for legislative clarification on the method.

I remember the summer days of my youth. My dad's veterinary practice, within walking distance of the local high school, was always fully staffed with local adolescents who just loved to be around animals. True, they didn't know anything about animal restraint or when to use gloves or pretty much anything else, but they were eager and willing and looking for a chance to get some experience with a veterinarian.

Orlando, Fla. - 4/9/08 - Continued advancements in animal cruelty have spurred the unprecedented Veterinary Forensics Symposium, which opens its doors today and is co-sponsored by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the University of Florida's William R. Maples Center for Forensic Science.

They say that most things in life swing like a pendulum from extreme to extreme. We know the business economy follows a boom-and-bust cycle that is mitigated only marginally through government intervention. Also, the political inclinations of society vacillate between conservative and liberal thought and from intolerance to excessive political correctness.

As discussed previously, the emergence of a "reasonable physician" standard of care affects both human and veterinary practitioners, defining our approach to error management. Under this standard, adverse events previously defensible by deference to custom might now result in decisions of negligence if it is determined that such events were easily preventable.

Schaumburg, Ill. - 3/17/08 - The passing of two state bills in recent weeks has made dog fighting a felony in all 50 states.

A step-by-step guide to cleaning up chemotherapy agents.

A new federal law guarantees that some primates who've served as scientific guinea pigs won't go under the knife again.

It's clearly a trend: The nation is cracking down on animal cruelty.

In December a judge ordered the return of Armani, a capuchin monkey, to the home of Rockville, Md., resident Elyse Gazewitz. Armani had been in custody at a zoo since May, when he was seized after an animal sanctuary employee called authorities to report Gazewitz's possession of the monkey.

Fort Walton Beach, Fla. - A Florida veterinarian is refusing to hand over his clients' rabies vaccination data, arguing his county's interpretation of a state statute is violating patient privacy and medical confidentiality.

This month I complete a two-part column discussing an expense that many of us put so far on the back burner it's probably on a hot plate in the shed behind your clinic.

Seneca, Pa. - It's taken six years for Dr. James Nelson to win what he considers vindication against the regulatory board he claims marred his reputation.