The following information was obtained from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s website listed under Board of Veterinary Medicine. This is just a fraction of the Florida Statutes listed under Disciplinary proceedings.
(1) The following acts shall constitute grounds for which the disciplinary actions in subsection (2) may be taken:
(a) Attempting to procure a license to practice veterinary medicine by bribery, by fraudulent representations, or through an error of the department or the board.
(b) Having a license or the authority to practice veterinary medicine revoked, suspended, or otherwise acted against, including the denial of licensure, by the licensing authority of any jurisdiction, including any agency or subdivision thereof. The licensing authority’s acceptance of a veterinarian’s relinquishment of a license, stipulation, consent order, or other settlement, offered in response to or in anticipation of the filing of administrative charges against the veterinarian’s license or authority to practice, shall be construed as action against the veterinarian’s license or authority to practice.
(c) Being convicted or found guilty, regardless of adjudication, of a crime in any jurisdiction which directly relates to the practice of veterinary medicine or the ability to practice veterinary medicine. Any crime which demonstrates a lack of regard for animal life relates to the ability to practice veterinary medicine. In addition, crimes relating to the ability to practice veterinary medicine shall include, but not be limited to, crimes involving any violation of state or federal drug laws.
(d) Making or filing a report or record which the licensee knows to be false, intentionally or negligently failing to file a report or record required by state or federal law, willfully impeding or obstructing such filing, or inducing another person to impede or obstruct such filing. Such reports or records shall include only those which are signed in the capacity of a licensed veterinarian.
(e) Advertising goods or services in a manner which is fraudulent, false, deceptive, or misleading in form or content.
(f) Violating any provision of this chapter or chapter 455, a rule of the board or department, or a lawful order of the board or department previously entered in a disciplinary hearing, or failing to comply with a lawfully issued subpoena of the department.
(g) Practicing with a revoked, suspended, inactive, or delinquent license.
(h) Being unable to practice veterinary medicine with reasonable skill or safety to patients by reason of illness, drunkenness, use of drugs, narcotics, chemicals, or any other material or substance or as a result of any mental or physical condition. In enforcing this paragraph, upon a finding by the secretary, the secretary’s designee, or the probable cause panel of the board that probable cause exists to believe that the licensee is unable to practice the profession because of the reasons stated in this paragraph, the department shall have the authority to compel a licensee to submit to a mental or physical examination by a physician designated by the department. If the licensee refuses to comply with the department’s order, the department may file a petition for enforcement in the circuit court of the circuit in which the licensee resides or does business. The licensee shall not be named or identified by initials in any other public court records or documents and the enforcement proceedings shall be closed to the public. The department shall be entitled to the summary procedure provided in s. 51.011. A licensee affected under this paragraph shall be afforded an opportunity at reasonable intervals to demonstrate that she or he can resume the competent practice for which she or he is licensed with reasonable skill and safety to patients. Neither the record of proceedings nor the orders entered by the board in any proceedings under this paragraph shall be used against a licensee in any other proceedings.
(i) Judicially determined mental incompetency. However, a license suspended for this cause may be reinstated upon legal restoration of the competency of the individual whose license was so suspended.”
This ends the information from the DBPR’s website.
Again, this was only a fraction of the statutes relating to discipline, licensing and regulating veterinarians. The board meets regularly to consider applications for licensure, to review disciplinary cases, and to conduct informal hearings relating to licensure and discipline.
Remember, your license is your livelihood.
The Soreide Law Group will represent you in front of the Florida Board of Veterinary Medicine. To speak to a lawyer regarding licensing issues please call: (888) 760-6552, or visit our website at: www.floridalicenselaws.com