Province seeking input on modernizing Veterinarians Act

The Ontario government is launching consultations to explore opportunities to modernize the Veterinarians Act. The government’s first substantial review in 30 years will explore amendments to the legislative framework, opening the door to a new standard of veterinary medicine in Ontario that is modern and flexible.

“The last significant update to the Veterinarians Act was in 1989, and we recognize that it no longer reflects the realities of modern veterinary practice” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The Veterinarians Act provides a framework for the licensing of veterinarians and the accreditation of the facilities where veterinary professionals, including registered veterinary technicians, practice. The Act also governs the practice of veterinary medicine in Ontario and sets out the authority framework for the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO), which regulates the veterinary profession and includes public participation in decision making.

As part of the first phase of consultations, the public can provide comments on modernizing the legislative framework to reduce red tape for veterinarians and make it easier to provide critical services to animal owners across Ontario. This will inform a discussion paper that will be posted to the Regulatory Registry in 2023. The government is seeking feedback on:

• The scope of practice for veterinary medicine, such as the procedures, services and processes a licensed veterinarian or other veterinary professional, such as a veterinary technician, is permitted to perform in Ontario.
• How to improve accountability and transparency to make sure that powers, responsibilities, and processes under the Act are clear to the public.
• How to align oversight of the Ontario veterinary profession with other self-governing regulated professions in the province to ensure that the veterinary profession continues to be overseen in the public interest.

Details on the proposed changes to the Veterinarians Act are available at https://www.ontario.ca/page/consultation-veterinarians-act-ontario.