Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 216 - Department of health › Chapter 40 - Professional licensing and facility regulation › Subchapter 05 - Professional Licensing › Part 14 - Veterinarians (216-RICR-40-05-14) › Section 216-RICR-40-05-14.2 - Definitions

Current through June 14, 2024
A. Wherever used in this Part, the terms
				  listed below shall be construed as follows:
1. "Act" means R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-25,
				  entitled, "Veterinary Practice Act."
2. "Animal" means any animal other than man
				  and includes, by the way of illustration, not limitation, fowl, birds, fish,
				  livestock and reptiles, wild or domestic, living or dead.
3. "Board" means the Board of Veterinary
				  Medicine established under the provisions of R.I. Gen. Laws §
											5-25-1.
4. "Client" means the owner of the
				  pet.
5. "Department" means the
				  Rhode Island Department of Health.
6. "Director" means the Director, Rhode
				  Island Department of Health.
7.
				  "Non-contact hours" means Internet courses, correspondence courses, tapes, or
				  other continuing education programs that do not provide for direct interaction
				  between faculty and the participant.
8. "Practice of veterinary medicine" means
				  any person shall be regarded as practicing veterinary medicine, surgery and
				  dentistry within the meaning of the Act who, either directly or indirectly,
				  conducts those activities stated in R.I. Gen. Laws §
											5-25-7(a).
				  The term "practicing veterinary medicine" does not include those exceptions
				  stated in R.I. Gen. Laws §
											5-25-7(b).
9. "Prescription" means an order from a
				  veterinarian to a pharmacist authorizing the dispensing of a prescription
				  veterinary drug to a client for use on or in a patient.
10. "Veterinarian" means a person who
				  practices veterinary medicine and is licensed to practice veterinary medicine
				  in this state pursuant to the provisions of R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter
				  5-25.
11.
				  "Veterinarian/client/patient relationship" means a relationship where all of
				  the following conditions have been met:
a. The
				  veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making medical judgments
				  regarding the health of the animal(s) and the need for medical treatment, and
				  the client has agreed to follow the instructions of the veterinarian.
b. The veterinarian has sufficient knowledge
				  of the animal(s) to initiate at least a general or preliminary (e.g.,
				  tentative) diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal(s). This means that
				  the veterinarian has recently seen and is personally acquainted with the
				  keeping and care of the animal(s), and/or by medically appropriate and timely
				  visits to the premises where the animal(s) are kept.
c. The veterinarian is readily available for
				  follow-up in cases of adverse reactions or failure of the regimen of
				  therapy.
d. The veterinarian
				  maintains records which document patient visits, diagnosis, treatment, and
				  other relevant information.
12. "Veterinary dentistry" means that part of
				  veterinary science that deals with the prevention and treatment of diseases,
				  developmental conditions and injuries of the teeth, gums and oral cavity in
				  animals.