AVMA 2010: Two new task forces will review veterinary model practice act, hazardous materials handling

Schaumburg, Ill.

-- Two new task forces were created by the American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) Executive Board at its June meeting.

The first will review the AVMA Model Veterinary Practice Act and make revisions were needed. First approved by the House of Delegates in 1964, with revisions in 1997 and 2003, the model practice act serves as a guidance document for states looking to revise or create their own veterinary practice acts.

New changes in the veterinary profession have prompted the review, which is slated for completion by June 2011.

The second task force will weigh the feasibility of creating a national database of veterinary products that contain hazardous materials. State and city laws on hazardous waste vary, and veterinarians are often at a loss on how best to deal with their own local restrictions. The task force will not create a database, but merely examine the necessity and feasibility of creating it and make recommendations to the Executive Board by November.