The Food and Drug Administration is mandating that dogs go back to seeing their veterinarians in person periodically in order for there to a be a proper VCPR, which stands for Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship. (The client is the person with the dog; the dog is the patient.) When the COVID pandemic first began, the FDA suspended the rules for in-person visits, including certain rules about prescribing drugs for pets. Telemedicine was acceptable for all “visits.”
But now, three years later, the government agency says that policy is no longer needed and that people must go back to bringing in their dogs for in-person exams. Once a dog is seen in person by a vet, a combination of in-person visits and telemedicine may be used.
The VCPR, fully defined in the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics, makes clear that if your veterinarian does not regularly see your pet, the vet-client-patient relationship is no longer valid, and it would be illegal and unethical for her to dispense or prescribe medications or recommend treatment. For more information on the VCPR, go to the website of the American Veterinary Medical Association and type in “VCPR.” One of the entries that will pop up is an FAQ on the topic.
