North Carolina to update practice act

RALEIGH, N.C. — A committee to review and update the state practice act is expected to present a draft of suggested changes to the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board (NCVMB) for approval next month.

Composed of North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association (NCVMA) and NCVMB members, the eight-person committee will suggest practice-act updates that are the result of more than eight months of meetings, says Linwood Jernigan, DVM and NCVMB president.

"We are trying to bring the verbiage up to the times," he says. "It is an ongoing process as the board works on a daily basis, as new technologies become available, new procedures, alternative therapies, etc. We are always wrestling with how to regulate those."

The main focus of the review is to adjust practice-act language to be more in tune with current standards, Jernigan says. The changes are not expected to be finalized in time for presentation during the 2008 legislative session, he says, but no problem in passage is anticipated.