§ 47-816 — Definitions

As used in the Kansas veterinary practice act:
(a) "Animal" means any mammalian animal other than human and any fowl, bird, amphibian, fish or reptile, wild or domestic, living or dead.
(b) "Board" means the state board of veterinary examiners.
(c) "Companion animal" means any dog, cat or other domesticated animal possessed by a person for purposes of companionship, security, hunting, herding or providing assistance in relation to a physical disability but shall exclude any animal raised on a farm or ranch and used or intended for use as food.
(d) "Clock hour of continuing education" means 60 minutes of participation in a continuing education program or activity which meets the minimum standards for continuing education according to rules and regulations adopted by the board.
(e) "Direct supervision" means the supervising licensed veterinarian:
(1) Is on the veterinary premises or in the same general area in a field setting;
(2) is quickly and easily available;
(3) examines the animal prior to delegating any veterinary practice activity to the supervisee and performs any additional examination of the animal required by good veterinary practice; and
(4) delegates only those veterinary practice activities which are consistent with rules and regulations of the board regarding employee supervision.
(f) "Licensed veterinarian" means a veterinarian who is validly and currently licensed to practice veterinary medicine in this state.
(g) "Indirect supervision" means that the supervising licensed veterinarian:
(1) Is not on the veterinary premises or in the same general area in a field setting, but has examined the animal and provided either written or documented oral instructions or a written protocol for treatment of the animal patient, except that in an emergency, the supervising licensed veterinarian may provide oral instructions prior to examining the animal and subsequently examine the animal and document the instruction in writing;
(2) delegates only those veterinary practice tasks which are consistent with the rules and regulations of the board regarding employee supervision; and
(3) the animal being treated is not anesthetized as defined in rules and regulations.
(h) "Practice of veterinary medicine" means any of the following:
(1) To diagnose, treat, correct, change, relieve, or prevent animal disease, deformity, defect, injury or other physical or mental condition; including the prescription or administration of any drug, medicine, biologic, apparatus, application, anesthesia or other therapeutic or diagnostic substance or technique on any animal, including, but not limited to, acupuncture, surgical or dental operations, animal psychology, animal chiropractic, theriogenology, surgery, including cosmetic surgery, any manual, mechanical, biological or chemical procedure for testing for pregnancy or for correcting sterility or infertility or to render service or recommendations with regard to any of the above and all other branches of veterinary medicine.
(2) To represent, directly or indirectly, publicly or privately, an ability and willingness to do any act described in paragraph (1).
(3) To use any title, words, abbreviation or letters in a manner or under circumstances which induce the belief that the person using them is qualified to do any act described in paragraph (1). Such use shall be prima facie evidence of the intention to represent oneself as engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine.
(4) To collect blood or other samples for the purpose of diagnosing disease or conditions. This shall not apply to unlicensed personnel employed by the United States department of agriculture or the Kansas department of agriculture who are engaged in such personnel's official duties.
(5) To apply principles of environmental sanitation, food inspection, environmental pollution control, animal nutrition, zoonotic disease control and disaster medicine in the promotion and protection of public health in the performance of any veterinary service or procedure.
(i) "School of veterinary medicine" means any veterinary college or division of a university or college that offers the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine or its equivalent, which conforms to the standards required for accreditation by the American veterinary medical association and which is recognized and approved by the board.
(j) "Veterinarian" means a person who has received a doctor of veterinary medicine degree or the equivalent from a school of veterinary medicine.
(k) "Veterinary premises" means any premises or facility where the practice of veterinary medicine occurs, including, but not limited to, a mobile clinic, outpatient clinic, satellite clinic or veterinary hospital or clinic, but shall not include the premises of a veterinary client, research facility, a federal military base, Kansas state university college of veterinary medicine or any premises wherein the practice of veterinary medicine occurs no more than three times per year as a public service outreach of a registered veterinary premises.
(l) "Graduate veterinary technician" means a person who has graduated from an American veterinary medical association accredited school approved by the board.
(m) "Registered veterinary technician" means a person who is a graduate veterinary technician, has passed the examinations required by the board for registration and is registered by the board.
(n) "Veterinary-client-patient relationship" means:
(1) The veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making medical judgments regarding the health of the animal or animals and the need for medical treatment, and the client, owner or other caretaker has agreed to follow the instruction of the veterinarian;
(2) there is sufficient knowledge of the animal or animals by the veterinarian to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal or animals. This means that the veterinarian has recently seen or is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the animal or animals by virtue of an examination of the animal or animals, or by medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal or animals are kept, or both; and
(3) the practicing veterinarian is readily available for followup in case of adverse reactions or failure of the regimen of therapy.
(o) "Veterinary prescription drugs" means such prescription items as defined by 21 U.S.C. § 353, as in effect on July 1, 2001.
(p) "Veterinary corporation" means a professional corporation of licensed veterinarians incorporated under the professional corporation act of Kansas, cited at K.S.A. 17-2706 et seq., and amendments thereto.
(q) "Veterinary partnership" means a partnership pursuant to the Kansas uniform partnership act, cited at K.S.A. 56a-101 et seq., and amendments thereto, formed by licensed veterinarians engaged in the practice of veterinary medicine.
(r) "Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, association or other entity.

Legislative History

L. 1969, ch. 261, § 3; L. 1980, ch. 155, § 1; L. 1993, ch. 129, § 3; L. 1997, ch. 1, § 1; L. 1998, ch. 93, § 72; L. 1999, ch. 25, § 1; L. 2001, ch. 30, § 1; L. 2004, ch. 101, § 80; L. 2006, ch. 112, § 1; L. 2012, ch. 140, § 80; July 1.