The Food and Drug Administration says it will “temporarily not enforce certain requirements,” a move that will allow more veterinarians to use telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
FDA announced the move Tuesday. In a statement, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said the flexibility will help veterinarians maintain the health of animals during the pandemic, while allowing for the social distancing that is so important in limiting the further spread of coronavirus disease across the country and the world.”
Specifically, FDA is suspending enforcement of veterinarian-client-patient relationship requirements that require vets physically examine animal patients. FDA says suspending this requirement “will allow veterinarians to prescribe drugs in an extralabel manner or authorize the use of VFD drugs without direct examination of or making visits to their patients.”
The FDA also noted that while it was suspending federal VCPR requirements, veterinarians should be advised to consider state requirements that might exist in their practice area.
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