Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 61G18-16.002 - Continuing Education Requirements for Active Status License Renewal
(1) All licensed veterinarians shall be
required to obtain continuing professional education which contributes to the
advancement, extension or enhancement of professional skills and knowledge in
the field of veterinary medicine.
(2) Licensed veterinarians shall complete a
minimum of thirty (30) hours of continuing professional education in veterinary
medicine every biennium. Beginning on June 1, 2012, no less than one (1) hour
of continuing education shall be in the area of dispensing legend drugs and no
less than two (2) hours of continuing education shall be in the area of the
laws and rules governing the practice of veterinary medicine. For the purposes
of this rule, the laws and rules governing the practice of veterinary medicine
are Chapters 455 and 474, F.S. and rule Division 61G18, F.A.C.
(a) One (1) hour equals a minimum of fifty
(50) minutes and a maximum of sixty (60) minutes. Total hours of lecture time
cannot be added up and divided into 50 minute intervals to obtain 1 hour credit
for each 50 minute interval.
(b)
Not more than fifteen (15) hours shall be non-interactive, correspondence
courses. Interactive Distance Education Courses are not correspondence
courses.
(c) "Interactive Distance
Education Course" means a competency based learning course presented through
live, synchronous technology or through prerecorded video coupled with a means
for course attendees to ask questions of the instructor(s) and receive
responses in a timely manner. Such courses may be presented through video
conferencing technologies or interactive computer based applications.
(d) Five (5) hours of continuing education in
laws and rules may be obtained once per biennium by attending one full day or
eight (8) hours of a Board meeting (whichever is shorter) at which disciplinary
hearings are conducted by the Board of Veterinary Medicine by complying with
the following:
1. The licensee must sign in
with the Executive Director of the Board or designee before the meeting day
begins.
2. The licensee must remain
in continuous attendance.
3. The
licensee must sign out with the Executive Director of the Board or designee at
the end of the meeting day or at such other earlier time as affirmatively
authorized by the Board. A licensee may receive continuing education credit for
attending the Board meeting only if he or she is attending on the date solely
for the purpose of obtaining continuing education; he or she may not receive
credit if appearing at the Board meeting for another
purpose.
(e) Not more
than five (5) hours in complementary and alternative medicine modalities shall
be credited toward the required number of continuing professional education
hours referenced above.
(f) A
licensed veterinarian shall receive credit for no more than five (5) hours of
continuing professional education in business or practice management courses
during any biennium period.
(g) A
licensed veterinarian shall receive credit for no more than five (5) hours of
continuing professional education in wellness and wellbeing seminars during any
biennium period.
(3)
During the license renewal period of each biennium, an application for renewal
will be mailed to each licensee at the last address provided to the Board.
Failure to receive any notification during this period does not relieve the
licensee of the responsibility of meeting the requirement. The application for
renewal shall include a form on which the licensee shall state that he has
completed the required continuing education. The licensee must retain for a
period of not less than three years from the date the course was taken
certificates of attendance or verification from the provider, to document
completion of the continuing education certified on the renewal form. The
Department will audit at random a number of licensees as is necessary to assure
that the continuing education requirements are met.
(4) Failure to comply with the continuing
professional education requirement shall prohibit license renewal and result in
delinquent status at the end of the renewal period.
(5) A licensed veterinarian shall not be
required to complete a continuing education requirement prior to the first
renewal of his license, but it shall be required prior to any subsequent
renewal.
(6) Failure to document
compliance with the continuing education requirements or the furnishing of
false or misleading information regarding compliance shall be grounds for
disciplinary action up to and including license revocation.
(7) No later than December 31, 2024, the
Board shall review and consider amendment, modification, or repeal of this rule
if review determines this rule creates barriers to entry for private business
competition, is duplicative, outdated, obsolete, overly burdensome, or imposes
excessive costs.
Notes
Rulemaking Authority 474.206, 474.211 FS. Law Implemented 455.2177, 455.2123, 474.211 FS.
New 11-14-79, Amended 11-1-81, Formerly 21X-16.02, Amended 4-20-88, 11-2-88, 3-26-90, Formerly 21X-16.002, Amended 8-18-94, 2-6-95, 3-20-95, 9-24-96, 11-28-96, 12-30-97, 5-22-12, 6-9-13, 8-26-13, 4-14-20, 11-2-20.
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