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Veterinary board faces pressure over owner‑exemption, compounded drugs and telehealth access
Summary
At a joint sunset hearing, the Veterinary Medical Board described process improvements in inspections and enforcement but faced questions from lawmakers, shelters and providers about narrowing the owner exemption, access to compounded medications and capacity to enforce telehealth and other complaints amid rising caseloads.
The California Veterinary Medical Board told a joint Assembly–Senate sunset hearing it has completed organizational and process reforms that increased inspections and decreased enforcement cycle times, but legislators and stakeholders urged the board to tighten the owner exemption and clarify compounding and supervision rules.
Board president Dr. Maria Salasito said the board merged inspection and enforcement units, added consultants to screen cases and launched a mobile inspection app expected to streamline inspections. “As a result, the Board increased our inspection by 343% when compared to the initial merge and closed 262% more complaints last fiscal year,” Salasito said.
Why it matters: The owner‑exemption language in the veterinary practice act was originally intended for livestock and food‑animal contexts; stakeholders told the committee the exemption has been used in ways that leave animals and consumers unprotected, particularly for equine and rescue settings.
Key points from the hearing - Owner exemption debate: Lawmakers and shelter groups pressed the board to narrow the owner exemption back to its original intent (livestock and food animals). The board said it is forming a subcommittee to study the issue and planned to collect demographic and geographic data to target outreach. - Compounded medications and supply: Stakeholders and board representatives discussed access to compounded drugs (including ophthalmic medications and IV fluid mixes) and the board’s collaboration with the California Board of Pharmacy; several commenters urged heightened attention because supply disruptions can affect care in clinics and rural practices. - Telehealth and enforcement: The board added tracking for telehealth in complaint forms and said investigations will treat telehealth complaints under the same standard-of-care analysis as in‑person care. The board reported roughly 2,000 complaint intakes last year and said the growth reflects increased pet ownership and consumer expectations. - Workforce and access: The board is collecting demographic data on licensees and intends to use those findings to plan outreach to underserved areas and to encourage entry to the profession; stakeholders asked for faster timelines for outreach and clearer support for people entering the field.
Public comments and stakeholder concerns Shelter and rescue organizations urged preservation of narrow owner‑exemption allowances used for routine preventive care in shelters and for owners in remote areas, while also calling for clarity to stop misuse that harms animals. Veterinary associations asked the Legislature to add an additional registered veterinary technician seat to the board and to define subject‑matter expertise for disciplinary reviews.
No legislative action taken Committee members asked the board to consider narrowly targeted statutory changes and to return with data and draft options. No votes were taken at the hearing.
Ending note The board said it will return with additional data from the state health data collection and continue working with the Board of Pharmacy, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and local prosecutors to address prosecution gaps and compound‑drug availability.
