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Current Continuing Education Requirements

 

Continuing education is a requirement for license renewal by veterinarians in the State of Florida. The guide for this requirement which veterinarians must follow, is contained in Rule Chapter 61G18-16, Florida Administrative Code of Chapter 474, Florida Statutes.

 

The statute directs that licensed veterinarians must renew their licenses every two years.  The next renewal date for Florida veterinarians is May 31 2024

 

The code stipulates that “All licensed veterinarians shall be required to obtain continuing professional education which contributes to the advancement, extension or enhancement of professional skills and knowledge in the field of veterinary medicine.”

 

The code also spells out requirements pertaining to the hours of CE and types or categories of CE accepted; as well as standards that must be upheld and adhered to by the providers of continuing education for the CE to be acceptable for active status license renewal in the state.

 

The Requirements for Active Status License Renewal

  • Completion of 30 hours of continuing professional education in veterinary medicine every two years.

  • No less than one hour of CE in the area of dispensing legend drugs

  • No less than two hours of CE in the area of the laws and rules governing the practice of veterinary medicine (Chapters 455 and 474, F.S. and Rule Title 61G18, F.A.C.)

  • Not more than fifteen hours are to be non-interactive, correspondence courses.

  • Computer on-line courses that involve on-line, real time, live or delayed participatory questioning or responses are not correspondence courses.

  • Not more than five hours in complementary and alternative medicine modalities.

  • Not more than five hours of CE in business, practice management courses or stress and impairment seminars.

  • Five hours of CE in laws and rules may be obtained once during the biennium by attending a full day or eight hours of a Board of Veterinary Medicine meeting where disciplinary hearings are conducted by the board. The attendee must sign in with the executive director of the board or designee before the meeting begins; must remain in continuous attendance; must sign out with the executive director of the board or designee at the end of the meeting day or at a time earlier as affirmatively authorized by the board.

**One hour of CE equals a minimum of fifty minutes and a maximum of sixty minutes. Total hours of lecture time cannot be added up and divided into 50 minute intervals to obtain one hour credit for each 50 minute interval.

November 2012 Changes to the Florida Administrative Code 61G18-18.002 Maintenance of Medical Records.

 

 

(1) There must be an individual medical record maintained on every patient examined or administered to by the veterinarian, except as provided in (2) below, for a period of not less than three years after date of last entry. The medical record shall contain all clinical information pertaining to the patient with sufficient information to justify the diagnosis or determination of health status and warrant any treatment recommended or administered.(2) When a veterinarian is providing services to a client owning or leasing 10 or more animals of the same species at a location where the client keeps the animals, one medical record may be kept for the group of animals. This record must include the species and breed of the animals, and the approximate number of the animals in the group. However when one specific animal is treated, the record must include the identification, diagnosis, and treatment regime of the individual animals examined and treated at each visit to the location, as well as all other information required by this rule.(3) Medical records shall be created as treatment is provided or within 24 hours from the time of treatment and include the date of each service performed. They shall contain the following information:Name of owner or agentPatient identificationRecord of any vaccinations administeredComplaint or reason for provision of servicesHistoryPhysical examination to include, but not limited to patient weight, temperature, pulse, and respiration, or noted exceptions to the collection of said informationAny present illness or injury notedProvisional diagnosis or health status determination(4) In addition, medical records shall contain the following information if these services are provided or occur during the examination or treatment of an animal or animals:Clinical laboratory reportsRadiographs and their interpretationConsultationTreatment – medical, surgicalHospitalizationDrugs prescribed, administered, or dispensed along with the route, strength, and dosage of the drug and time said drug was administered if not otherwise discernible from the record.Tissue examination reportNecropsy findingsThe remaining portion of the rule, consisting of subsections five (5) through nine (9) remains unchanged.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS

 

State Diagnostic Laboratories Kissimmee

(321) 697-1499 Fax

(321) 697-1467

 

Live Oak

(386) 330-5700 Fax

(386) 330-5710

 

Drug Enforcement Agency (Miami Division)

(954) 660-4500

 

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center

(888) 426-4435

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