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The Role of Regulatory Boards
The role of the regulatory boards are to regulate the practice of veterinary medicine within their jurisdiction. Specifically, these agencies ensure that veterinary professionals are properly educated, qualified, and fit to be licensed. Moreover, licensing laws are based on two core beliefs:
- It requires special knowledge and skills to practice a profession.
- The public needs protection from incompetent or unethical practitioners.
In Support of these Beliefs, State and Provincial Regulatory Boards:
- Set and enforce the requirements for veterinary professionals’ initial licensure after graduation from an accredited program.
- Set requirements for ongoing licensure throughout a veterinary professional’s career.
- May set minimum standards for veterinary facilities and mobile units.
- Investigate complaints against veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and/or facilities.
Ultimately, the regulatory board’s focus is protecting the public, and the AAVSB’s focus is supporting the regulatory boards in those efforts.
Veterinary Medicine Regulation & the Role of the AAVSB
At the AAVSB, we exist to ease the burden of veterinary regulatory boards. Specifically, we do this by providing programs and services to help them in their mission of public protection. We don’t provide or enforce licensure for veterinary professionals, but we support the agencies that do.
We’re a not-for-profit association of veterinary regulatory boards. In fact, our membership includes licensing bodies across 63 jurisdictions, including all 10 Canadian provinces, all 50 of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.