Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee. The bill
concerns the use of telehealth to provide veterinary services. The bill defines different types of telehealth tools that can be used in a veterinary practice.
In current law, one criterion for the establishment of a
veterinarian-client-patient relationship is that the veterinarian has conducted an examination of the animal that is the patient. The bill clarifies that the examination must be an in-person, physical examination. The bill also extends the veterinarian-client-patient relationship to other licensed veterinarians who share the same physical premises as the veterinarian who established the relationship if the other veterinarians have access to and have reviewed the patient's medical records.
The bill allows a licensed veterinarian who has established a
veterinarian-client-patient relationship to use telehealth to provide veterinary services to clients and patients in Colorado with the consent of the client. A licensed veterinarian may also refer a patient to a veterinary specialist, who may provide veterinary services via telemedicine under the referring veterinarian's veterinarian-client-patient relationship.
The bill authorizes the state board of veterinary medicine to
establish rules for the use of telehealth to provide veterinary services.
The bill clarifies that only a licensed veterinarian with an
established veterinarian-client-patient relationship may prescribe medication using telemedicine.
The bill allows a licensed veterinarian who has established a
veterinarian-client-patient relationship to supervise veterinary personnel who are not located on the same premises using telesupervision if the veterinarian and the personnel are employees of the same veterinary practice and the veterinary premises, the veterinary professionals or other veterinary personnel, and the patient are all located in Colorado.
The bill establishes record-keeping, confidentiality, and privacy
requirements related to the use of telehealth.
