The Ohio Veterinary Medical Licensing Board has completed the regulatory process for changes to a handful of current regulations. Most were revisited under a provision in Ohio law that requires all regulations to be reviewed at least every five years.
The most significant of the changes was a rewrite of the continuing education rule (OAC 4741-1-11)—in particular, the virtual CE component. These changes include:
- A clarification to the description of virtual CE. The rule now defines online CE as either live-streamed or pre-recorded programs.
- An increase in the number of virtual hours. A veterinarian will be able to earn 18 hours per each two-year licensing period (up from 15 hours). At least 12 hours must be earned by being physically in person at the program, unless a waiver is obtained from the OVMLB due to health concerns.
Once enacted, this rule change will be in effect for technician renewal in 2025 and veterinarian renewal in 2026.
Additionally, minor changes were made to rules governing the following:
- Animal aide permissible duties (4741-1-14) — Allowing an animal aide to be supervised by either a DVM or RVT when performing venipuncture
- Livestock ambulatory (4741-1-20) — Removing the requirement that vehicles used in ambulatory veterinary medicine have a refrigeration unit and instead simply calling for the proper storage of drugs and biologics
- Approval of euthanasia technician course curriculum (4741-1-23) — Clarify the use of euthanasia drugs in shelters to match what is in the Revised Code
- Technician registration and CE (OAC 4741-1-01), Companion animal vaccination clinics (4741-1-16), and Home visits for companion animals (4741-1-17) — other non-substantive, administrative-type changes
All of the above rules are currently scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 3, 2024.
For more information, please refer to OVMLB’s fall 2023 newsletter.
