AN ACT RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- VETERINARY PRACTICE

HB 7603 requires veterinarians to provide a consultation to pet owners whenever they prescribe, dispense, or furnish a drug to an animal patient in an outpatient setting. The consultation must cover the drug's name, administration details, storage instructions, missed dose procedures, and manufacturer warnings about severe side effects. This applies to all veterinarians in the state and mandates documentation of whether the consultation was offered or declined. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, and allows veterinarians to delegate this task to registered veterinary technicians.