PDFWAC 246-935-040

Responsibilities of a veterinarian supervising a licensed veterinary technician or an unregistered assistant.

(1) A veterinarian must not delegate:
(a) To any licensed veterinary technician the performance of any animal health care services not authorized by WAC 246-935-040 or 246-935-050.
(b) To any unregistered assistant the performance of any animal health care services not authorized by WAC 246-935-040 or 246-935-050.
(2) The supervising veterinarian shall:
(a) Have legal responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of the animal patient which the licensed veterinary technician or unregistered assistant serves.
(b) Delegate animal health care tasks only if the licensed veterinary technician or unregistered assistant is qualified to perform the task, and the task is not precluded by the medical condition of the animal patient.
(c) Use the level of supervision required for a specific task.
(d) Make all decisions relating to the diagnosis, treatment, management, and future disposition of an animal patient.
(e) Limit the number of unregistered assistants under indirect supervision to that which is appropriate for the circumstances.
(f) Allow licensed veterinary technicians and unregistered assistants the right and responsibility to refuse to perform duties they are not legally or technically able to perform.
(3) A supervising veterinarian shall examine the animal patient prior to the delegation of any animal health care task to either a licensed veterinary technician or unregistered assistant. The examination of the animal patient must be conducted at the times and in the manner consistent with veterinary medicine practice, and the particular delegated animal health care task.
(4) If a licensed veterinary technician is authorized to provide supervision for an unregistered assistant performing a specified health care task, the licensed veterinary technician shall be under the same degree of supervision by the veterinarian, as if the licensed veterinary technician were performing the task.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 18.92.030, 18.92.125. WSR 09-15-120, § 246-935-040, filed 7/17/09, effective 8/17/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.92.030. WSR 02-02-046, § 246-935-040, filed 12/27/01, effective 1/27/02; WSR 92-02-057 (Order 233B), § 246-935-040, filed 12/30/91, effective 1/30/92; WSR 91-24-098 (Order 221B), § 246-935-040, filed 12/4/91, effective 1/4/92; WSR 91-02-060 (Order 108B), recodified as § 246-935-040, filed 12/28/90, effective 1/31/91. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.92.015 and 18.92.030. WSR 83-19-055 (Order PL 445), § 308-156-045, filed 9/19/83.]