Florida Lawmakers Debate Veterinary Telehealth Expansion

Florida lawmakers are debating a bill that would allow veterinarians to treat animals via telehealth.

SB 1370, which was unanimously approved by the State Senate Agriculture Committee this week, would allow veterinarians to establish the veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) via audio-visual connected health channels, forgoing an “in-person” exam.

It also defines “veterinary telemedicine” to include both the telephone and audio-visual platforms “or by other means consistent with the veterinarian’s professional judgment,” and prohibits veterinarians from prescribing controlled substances via telehealth without the in-person exam, unless the animal is in an animal clinic or hospital or receiving hospice treatment. This would include allowing animal control officers to administer rabies vaccinations to impounded animals under the remote supervision of a veterinarian.

A companion bill, HB 911, is making its way through the House of Representatives.

Telehealth had been slow to gain adoption in veterinary care, save for some services related for farms and ranches, until the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, several states have expanded telehealth access and coverage for pets to help pet owners and veterinarians looking to take pet care out of the clinic and into the home.

Telehealth advocates also note that pet ownership can be classified as a social determinant of health. In a 2020 survey conducted by Xtelligent Healthcare Media, the parent company to mHealthIntelligence, 11 percent of respondents identified pet ownership as a SDOH, 5 percent screen their patients for pet ownership, and 9 percent partner with organizations within the community to address the ups and downs of life with Fido or Mittens.

In Florida, lawmakers in support of the bill say it would offer relief for families with pets who can’t easily get to an animal clinic. Opponents say the platform isn’t safe for animals.

“I represent so many rural parts of Florida where access is an issue,” State Sen. Loranne Ausley told Florida Politics. “However, the main distinction here is, as we heard and we all know, that animals can’t talk. So, we need to be really cautious how we’re moving forward with this.”