A. Notwithstanding any other law and except for an animal that is used in commercial food production that is regulated under title 3, a veterinarian may establish a veterinarian client patient relationship through electronic means if all of the following apply:

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 32-2240.03

  • Animal: means any animal other than human. See Arizona Laws 32-2201
  • Controlled substance: means any substance that is registered and controlled under the controlled substances act (P. See Arizona Laws 32-2201
  • including: means not limited to and is not a term of exclusion. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association or society, as well as a natural person. See Arizona Laws 1-215
  • Veterinarian: means a person who has received a doctor's degree in veterinary medicine from a veterinary college. See Arizona Laws 32-2201
  • Veterinarian client patient relationship: means a relationship between a veterinarian and a client or the owner or caretaker of an animal in which the veterinarian meets all of the following:

    (a) Assumes the responsibility for making medical judgments regarding the animal's health and need for medical treatment and the client, owner or caretaker has agreed to follow the veterinarian's instructions. See Arizona Laws 32-2201

  • Veterinary medicine: includes veterinary surgery, obstetrics, dentistry, acupuncture, manipulation and all other branches or specialties of veterinary medicine and prescribing, administering or dispensing drugs and medications for veterinary purposes. See Arizona Laws 32-2201

1. The veterinarian is licensed pursuant to this chapter or holds a permit pursuant to Section 32-2217.01.

2. The veterinarian obtains informed consent from the client, including an acknowledgement that the standards of care prescribed by this chapter apply to in-person visits and visits through electronic means. The veterinarian shall maintain for at least three years documentation of the consent described in this paragraph.

3. The veterinarian provides the client with the veterinarian’s name and contact information and secures an alternate means of contacting the client if the electronic means is interrupted. The electronic or written record provided to the client after the telemedicine visit must include the veterinarian’s license number.

4. Before conducting an evaluation of the patient through electronic means, the veterinarian advises the client of all of the following:

(a) The veterinarian may ultimately recommend an in-person visit.

(b) The veterinarian is prohibited by federal law from prescribing some drugs or medications based only on an electronic examination.

(c) The appointment through electronic means may be terminated at any time.

5. The veterinarian is able to recommend the client to a local veterinarian who can see the animal in person. The client has the option to choose an in-person visit.

B. A veterinarian may prescribe drugs or medications after establishing a veterinary client patient relationship through electronic means, except that:

1. Prescriptions based only on an electronic examination may be initially issued for up to fourteen days and may be renewed one time for up to fourteen days with an additional electronic examination.

2. Prescriptions based only on electronic examinations and that have been renewed once may not be renewed again without an in-person examination.

3. The veterinarian must notify the client that some prescription drugs or medications may be available at a pharmacy and, if requested, the veterinarian will submit a prescription to a pharmacy that the client chooses.

4. The veterinarian may not order, prescribe or make available a controlled substance as defined in section 36-2501 unless the veterinarian has performed an in-person physical examination of the patient or made medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the patient is kept.

5. The veterinarian shall prescribe all drugs and medications in accordance with all federal and state laws.

C. Veterinarian services provided through electronic means are subject to the rules adopted pursuant to section 32-2275 relating to the practice of veterinary medicine.