Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 384 - Veterinary Medicine
Section 20-202. - Disciplinary action; grounds.

After notice and opportunity for hearing as provided in the regulations established by the Commissioner of Public Health, said board may take any of the actions set forth in section 19a-17 for any of the following causes: (1) The presentation to the board of any diploma, license or certificate illegally or fraudulently obtained; (2) proof that the holder of such license or certificate has become unfit or incompetent or has been guilty of cruelty, unskillfulness or negligence towards animals and birds. In determining whether the holder of such license has acted with negligence, the board may consider standards of care and guidelines published by the American Veterinary Medical Association including, but not limited to, guidelines for the use, distribution and prescribing of prescription drugs; (3) conviction of the violation of any of the provisions of this chapter by any court of criminal jurisdiction, provided no license or registration shall be revoked or suspended because of such conviction if an appeal to a higher court has been filed until such appeal has been determined by the higher court and the conviction sustained; (4) the violation of any of the provisions of this chapter or the refusal to comply with any of said provisions; (5) the publication or circulation of any statement of a character tending to deceive or mislead the public; (6) the supplying of drugs, biologics, instruments or any substances or devices by which unqualified persons may practice veterinary medicine, surgery and dentistry, except that such drugs, biologics, instruments, substances or devices may be supplied to a farmer for his own animals or birds; (7) fraudulent issue or use of any health certificate, vaccination certificate, test chart or other blank form used in the practice of veterinary medicine relating to the dissemination of animal disease, transportation of diseased animals or the sale of inedible products of animal origin for human consumption; (8) knowingly having professional association with, or knowingly employing any person who is unlawfully practicing veterinary medicine; (9) failure to keep veterinary premises and equipment in a clean and sanitary condition; (10) physical or mental illness, emotional disorder or loss of motor skill, including but not limited to, deterioration through the aging process; (11) abuse or excessive use of drugs, including alcohol, narcotics or chemicals; or (12) failure to comply with the continuing education requirements prescribed in section 20-201a. A violation of any of the provisions of this chapter by any unlicensed employee in the practice of veterinary medicine, with the knowledge of his employer, shall be deemed a violation thereof by his employer. The Commissioner of Public Health may order a license holder to submit to a reasonable physical or mental examination if his physical or mental capacity to practice safely is the subject of an investigation. Said commissioner may petition the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford to enforce such order or any action taken pursuant to section 19a-17.

(1949 Rev., S. 4604; 1957, P.A. 360, S. 4; P.A. 77-614, S. 266, 610; P.A. 79-262, S. 2; P.A. 80-484, S. 80, 176; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; 95-271, S. 38, 40; P.A. 09-232, S. 11; P.A. 13-230, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 77-614 specified that there must be notice and opportunity for hearing before revocation or suspension of license, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-262 added Subdivs. (15) and (16) allowing suspension or revocation of license for having professional association with or employing unlawful practitioner or failure to maintain sanitary conditions; P.A. 80-484 extended applicability to disciplinary actions listed in Sec. 19-4s, rewrote and moved provisions re grounds for disciplinary action involving felony conviction and vice or drug addiction, replaced regulations of consumer protection commissioner with regulations of health services commissioner, deleted Subdivs. (3) re conviction of crime of moral turpitude, (7) to (11) re various types of advertising and (12) re unprofessional conduct, added new Subdivs. re grounds of physical or mental illness, etc., renumbering and numbering as necessary, and added provisions re physical and mental examinations and re petitions to court for enforcement of orders or actions; P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-271 amended Subdiv. (2) to require “negligence” rather than “gross negligence”; P.A. 09-232 added Subdiv. (12) re disciplinary action for failure to comply with prescribed continuing education requirements; P.A. 13-230 amended Subdiv. (2) by adding provision re authority of board to consider standards of care and guidelines published by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Injury to animal not required for veterinarian to be determined negligent, where such veterinarian supervised employee, with no educational training, in neutering cats. 109 CA 113. Subdiv. (2): Administration by a veterinarian of a rabies vaccine in a manner other than as directed by the attendant rabies vaccine label directions constitutes professional negligence. 204 CA 595.

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