Ala. Admin. Code r. 930-X-1-.31 - Premises Permits
(1) All
veterinary facilities must acquire a premises permit. The owner and all
associate veterinarians must be listed on the premises permit.
(2) All licensed veterinarians owning or
associated with the premises shall be individually responsible for management
of the premises. Short term relief veterinarians without management
responsibilities will not be required to be listed on the premises
permit.
(3) Premises permits must
be displayed within the practice in such a manner as to be easily viewed by the
public.
(4) All service agreements
for any premises, including after hour emergency agreements and other
supportive agreements, must be displayed with phone numbers and addresses
within the practice in such a manner as to be easily viewed by the
public.
(5) All licensed
veterinarians owning or the primary administrative contact veterinarian with
the premises, shall be individually responsible for immediately reporting to
the Board any changes, modifications, or terminations of any service
agreements.
(6) An applicant for an
initial premises permit must allow ample time for the Board to process the
premises permit application. When an application, which is not for a renewal or
change in ownership or association, requires an evaluation or inspection, the
applicant must file a complete application at least 90 days before the permit
is needed. All new veterinary facilities must complete a premises permit
application and remit the inspection fee along with all required documents to
the Board office. Evaluations or inspections will not be scheduled for
incomplete premises applications even when the applicant believes that the
missing information is minor, incidental, or unimportant. The Board has a
limited number of inspectors and to ensure that all applicants receive premises
permits timely, the Board will strictly adhere to an inspection schedule. An
Inspector/Compliance Officer will contact the veterinarian to schedule an
inspection date. Upon meeting or exceeding all mandatory minimum standards the
Board will issue a premises permit.
(7) In the event a facility fails to pass an
initial premises inspection/evaluation, applicant must correct any
deficiencies, complete a new premises permit application, and pay the premises
evaluation failure reinspection fee. An Inspector/Compliance Officer will
contact the veterinarian to schedule the reinspection. It may be up to 120 days
after the Board is notified that the premises are ready for reinspection before
the premises are reevaluated.
(8)
The application must designate one veterinarian as the primary administrative
contact to work with the Board. The administrative contact veterinarian for the
facility shall be the individual responsible for ensuring and coordinating
administrative compliance with the practice act and the rules of the
administrative code. The administrative contact veterinarian is individually
responsible for written, telephonic, and electronic communication to and from
the Board. This may not be delegated to administrative staff.
(9) Upon meeting the requirements of the
practice act and the administrative code, including applicable mandatory
minimum standards for facilities, the following types of premises permits are
available:
(a) Veterinary or Animal Hospital
or Clinic- available only for a facility providing quality examination,
diagnostic, and health maintenance services for medical and surgical treatment
of animals, including housing and nursing care for animals during illness and
convalescence. Veterinarians working out of these facilities may make
occasional house or farm calls to treat animals at the owner/client's premises
without becoming a mobile clinic when reasonable circumstances prevent an
owner/client from bringing an animal to the facility. A Mobile Small Animal
Clinic may be permitted as a full-service clinic by meeting or exceeding all
mandatory requirements for both full-service and mobile premises;
(b) Specialty Practice or Specialty Clinic-
available only for a facility where veterinarians have advanced training in a
specialty, are diplomats of an approved specialty college, and provide complete
specialty services. These facilities must meet the minimum standards applicable
for all facilities in addition to any minimum standards applicable to the
specialty;
(c) Central Hospital-
available only for a full-service facility, mainly utilized as a referral
facility, and providing specialized care, including 24-hour nursing care and
specialty consultation on a permanent or on-call basis, and the facility must
also meet the requirements of subsection (a) by providing quality examination,
diagnostic, and health maintenance services for medical and surgical treatment
of animals, including housing and nursing care for animals during illness and
convalescence;
(d) Satellite
Clinic- available only for a supportive facility owned by or associated with,
by having a service agreement with a permitted veterinary hospital, clinic, or
full-service central hospital designated on the premises permit as the primary
facility. Veterinarians on the premises permit of the primary facility must
verify in the outpatient premises permit application that its outpatient
clinic, if offering limited services, has ready access to the primary facility
and is located within one hour or 45 miles of the primary facility, and that a
veterinarian from the primary facility will be on call during and after the
operation of the satellite to render aid, if necessary. In exceptional
circumstances, upon approval of the board, the one hour or 45-mile limitation
may be extended to a reasonable distance based upon the geographic location of
the satellite clinic. Satellite clinics are primarily fixed branch locations of
the primary facility and may be full or limited services facilities with
necessary service agreements. The operation of any satellite clinic must be
under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian who remains on the
premises during the entire time of operation;
(e) Outpatient Clinic- available only for a
supportive facility owned by or associated with, by having a service agreement
with a permitted veterinary hospital, clinic or full-service central hospital
designated on the premises permit as the primary facility. An outpatient clinic
is mainly utilized for wellness and minor medical issues not requiring general
anesthesia, surgery, or hospitalization. Veterinarians on the premises permit
of the primary facility must verify in the outpatient premises permit
application that its outpatient clinic, if offering limited services, has ready
access to the primary facility and is located within one hour or 45 miles of
the primary facility, and that a veterinarian associated with the primary
facility will be on call during and after the operation of the outpatient
clinic to render aid, if necessary. In exceptional circumstances, upon approval
of the board, the one hour or 45-mile limitation may be extended to a
reasonable distance based upon the geographic location of the outpatient
clinic. The operation of any outpatient clinic must be under the direct
supervision of a licensed veterinarian who remains on the premises during the
entire time of operation;
(f)
Mobile Small Animal Clinic-available only for a supportive facility owned by or
to be associated with by having a service agreement with a permitted veterinary
hospital, clinic, or full-service central hospital. The Mobile Small Animal
Clinic, the supportive facility, must be added to the premises permit of the
primary facility. The veterinarians of the Mobile Small Animal Clinic, the
supportive facility, must be listed as veterinarians on the premises permit of
the primary facility. Veterinarians on the premises permit of the primary
facility must verify in the mobile small animal clinic premises permit
application that its mobile small animal clinic, if offering limited services,
has ready access to the primary facility and is located within one hour or 45
miles of the primary facility, and that a veterinarian associated with the
primary facility will be on call during and after the operation of the mobile
small animal clinic to render aid, if necessary. In exceptional circumstances,
upon approval of the board, the one hour or 45-mile limitation may be extended
to a reasonable distance based on the geographic location of the mobile small
animal clinic. The operation of any Mobile Small Animal Clinic must be under
the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian who remains on the premises
during the entire time of operation;
(g) Large Animal Mobile Clinic- available
only for a facility providing examination, diagnostic, preventive medicine, and
minor surgical services for large animals not requiring confinement of
hospitalization, including any other surgeries required by emergencies in the
field. Large animal mobile units may be, but are not required to be,
self-contained units. Complete hospital facilities may be provided without a
service agreement by the nearest large animal hospital or veterinary school.
Veterinarians operating out of a Large Animal Mobile Clinic may diagnose and
treat an owner/client's small animals on the owner/client's premises without
becoming a Mobile Small Animal Clinic;
(h) Emergency Clinic- available only for a
treatment facility specializing in emergency veterinary medicine, established
to receive patients from the public without prior appointments and to accept
referrals from other veterinary facilities, to treat acute injuries and
illnesses which require immediate attention, to provide diagnostic and
treatment during hours when local veterinary hospitals are normally closed.
Emergency clinics shall meet or exceed all mandatory requirements for a
full-service facility as provided in subsection (a) as well meet all other
requirements of the practice act and the administrative code. Emergency clinics
are not required to enter into service agreements with referring veterinarians
who are within the same locale.
(10) All licensed veterinarians shall comply
with all federal, state, county and municipal laws, ordinances and
regulations.
(11) Field Compliance
Officers/Inspectors will periodically inspect all veterinary practices
operating under a premises permit in accordance with the provisions of the
practice act and the administrative code. Inspections will be conducted during
normal hours of operation.
(12) The
premises permit may be revoked, suspended, or denied and penalties imposed for
violations of the practice act, the administrative code, or other applicable
law.
Notes
Author: Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners
Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, ยง 34-29-69.
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