Understanding Florida's VPA (Veterinary Professional Associate) Bill and Its Impact on Veterinary Professionals and Clients

The veterinary industry in Florida is facing significant changes due to the introduction of the Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA) Bill. This legislation was filed by Representative Melo, and he claims: "I filed this bill to expand consumers' access to veterinary services and improve operational efficiency. My passion for this issue stems from my own experiences, being a large animal owner for most of my adult life. I have observed that many rural areas struggle to provide adequate veterinary services for large animals. This bill would give pet owners greater access to veterinary services." Understanding the details of this bill is crucial for everyone involved in veterinary care, from veterinarians and clinic staff to pet owners. This article provides a clear, but yes, OPINIONATED, explanation of what the Florida VPA Bill entails and explores how it impacts the veterinary community and animal owners alike. Much of this information obtained for this blod was obtained from websites listed below, and all of it is public information. https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/bills/billsdetail.aspx?billid=81362

Veterinary clinic reception area showing client interaction

What Is the Florida VPA Bill?

The Florida Veterinary Professional Associate Bill is a legislative update designed to increase access to veterinary care, especially in rural areas where care is at an all-time shortage. But will this increase in access be provided by veterinarians? Not so fast. This access to care will be provided by not a doctor, but rather a person who has taken a few semesters of online courses, followed by a certain number of hours of clinical experience in a veterinary clinic. Much of the description of what these VPA's can do is vague. But a general description is listed below.

Key elements of the bill include:

• Authorizes certain individuals to use the title "veterinary professional associate."

• Authorizes veterinary professional associates to perform certain duties only while under responsible supervision of a licensed veterinarian

• Specifies certain education requirements

• Prohibits such associates from prescribing certain drugs or controlled substances or performing certain surgical procedures

• Provides that supervising veterinarians are liable for the acts or omissions of veterinary professional associates under their supervision.

  
  

How the Bill Affects Veterinary Professionals

Veterinarians and their staff will experience several changes under the VPA Bill. The legislation provides access for less qualified individuals to perform more extensive medical care than they are trained to do. For example, VPA's may be authorized to perform certain procedures like dental with major extractions, but if anything goes wrong, they are not legally liable. The veterinarian who is their supervisor is fully liable. They may not have even touched the pet, yet their license is now on the line. The VPA? Nothing. Might they get fired? Possibly.

The bill also encourages the general public that opening this position will allow more "access to care", especially in rural areas. However, how can we guarantee that these new graduates of the VPA program would want to move to underserved areas? What incentive might they have to go do that? There is no guarantee. Even now, there are programs for veterinarians to work in rural areas and get thousands knocked off student loan debt. Yet, this has not significantly changed the rural community's access to good veterinary care in the small and large animal world.

Lets hear from other real Veterinarians about this issue (besides me of course, your blog writer).

I interviewed one vet who liked to remain anonymous. Their opinion is as follows: "I'm ok with it (VPA bill). I have some rockstar techs that I would trust to do a lot more things if they were allowed. But it also depends on how much the VPA program costs. If it's fairly cheap? Then nope (no problem with it). The cost of vet school is quite crazy now, and with all the new loan stuff, I don't think it is wise for all of them to go to vet school. I haven't looked to see how much they would make in this role or how much the program costs. But if they can make 85-90k a year with less than 75k of debt, that would be great! A new (DVM) grad can cost (clinics) 120k-140k and doesn't always work out. However, I'm going to be super picky about who I hire in this role. I would have had to have worked with them for a couple of years prior to gain trust, or know someone that they worked with.

The FVMA (Florida Veterinary Medical Association) also had some input. This is from an article they posted in 2024 when all of this discussion really started coming about. "The FVMA supports elevating credentialed veterinary technicians to fill the increased needs within a veterinary practice as opposed to the misguided VPA proposal. We are currently working with the Florida Veterinary Technician Association (FVTA) on licensure language and have scheduled meetings with state representatives to address objections and potential practice act changes regarding licensed veterinary technicians in the state of Florida. This step recognizes the trust we have in our current CVTs’ skills and talents and proposes allowing special advanced tasks for licensed veterinary technicians while not negatively affecting current practices." (https://fvma.org/what-weve-done-whats-happening-now-and-what-were-going-to-do/)

Impact on Veterinary Employees

Veterinary employees, including technicians and assistants, may find their roles more at risk. Depending on the practice setting, certain hospitals/companies may require VPA credentials to get a good position within the practice. In my opinion, large corporations will be the major driver of this. Why, you may ask? Because they can pay these VPA's less money than a licensed veterinarian, while they perform many of the same tasks as the veterinarian (to an extent labeled in the law). You could have 4-8 VPA's seeing vaccine appointments with 1 veterinarian supervisor in one building/setting. Profitable? Most likely. Quality of care? Poor (in my opinion). If you are in a state that requires technicians to be licensed, you could be less of a hot commodity as VPA's can legally be more productive in the eyes of the owners.

However, VPA's and veterinarians must be aware of their responsibilities under the bill and ensure they work within the legal framework. Clinics may need to update their policies and training programs to align with the new standards.

What Clients Need to Know

Pet owners and clients will notice changes in how veterinary services are delivered. The bill does not clarify the rules of communication and informed consent. This means clients may think they're getting their pet's care from a highly trained veterinarian, when in reality they are getting and under qualified and undertrained VPA. Clients need to understand the difference between what they are getting and what they are paying for. Pet owners- Ask questions because each state differs. Make sure your pet's physical exam is performed by a DOCTOR when they introduce themselves before your visit. If that's not the case? Verbalize your concern and don't take no for an answer.

Examples of Changes in Practice

To illustrate the bill’s impact, consider these practical examples:

• A VPA in a Florida clinic can now perform certain procedures like a grade 4 dental

• A pet owner living in a remote area MIGHT have easier access to vaccines and routine wellness exams. But when a life threatening emergency occurs? They are still out of luck.

• A veterinary clinic updates its consent forms to include detailed explanations of VPA limitations and client rights, ensuring compliance with the new law.

  
  

Preparing for the Future

Veterinary clinics and professionals should take proactive steps to prepare for the VPA Bill. This includes:

• Reviewing and updating clinic policies to align with new regulations

• Training staff on expanded or clarified roles that could be emerging

• Enhancing client communication materials to ensure informed consent

  
  

By preparing now, veterinary practices can avoid disruptions and continue providing high-quality care under the new legal framework.

Final Thoughts on Florida’s VPA Bill

The Florida VPA Bill represents an attempted step toward expanding veterinary practice in the state and increasing access to certain levels of care. But there is no guarantee of a straightforward plan of action. And, there is no guidance on previous successes of this program to use as a structure and SOP. Colorado has not figured it out yet. We should think highly about whether or not we will introduce this bill into our profession and state and what consequences it may have on pet care.