Veterinary medicine: veterinary assistants.

Existing law, the Veterinary Medicine Practice Act, provides for the licensure and registration of veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians and the regulation of the practice of veterinary medicine by the Veterinary Medical Board. The act also permits unregistered assistants to carry out specified acts in the veterinary care and treatment of animals, and authorizes the board to regulate the veterinary care activities of unregistered assistants. This bill would instead refer to unregistered assistants as veterinary assistants throughout the act. Existing law authorizes, until January 1, 2013, a registered veterinary technician and an unregistered assistant to administer a drug, including, but not limited to, a drug that is a controlled substance, except for the induction of anesthesia, under specified circumstances. This bill would make these provisions operative until January 1, 2015, and would authorize veterinary assistants to administer a controlled substance only if specified requirements are satisfied, including completion of a background check. The bill would also authorize the board to limit veterinary assistants' access to specified dangerous drugs, as defined.