Coloradoans recently voted in favor of a Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA) position, with responsibility and authorization between a licensed technician and a veterinarian.
I attended one of the liveliest panel discussions on this very topic during a recent conference. Both pro and con voices were passionate and well-informed. The bill’s origin centers around a perceived (short-term?) imbalance between veterinary care demand and supply. By creating a hybrid position, the bill’s supporters seek to supplement veterinary care without requiring the time and expense of earning a veterinary degree. That said, the VPA can make medical recommendations only under the direct supervision of a licensed veterinarian.
The issue runs much deeper than that. Questions abound related to surgical procedures, unforeseen circumstances within patient care, the establishment of a VCPR, pay rates, and more. Virtually all accreditation and regulation fall under a state licensing board. VPAs would be no different, which raises issues of interstate reciprocity.
What’s certain is livelier debate. A recent study conducted by Brakke Consulting on behalf of AVMA demonstrated that rather than a true shortage of veterinarians, the industry’s recent tight labor market now easing, the equilibrium comprising a basic tenet of economics.
Jeff Santosuosso
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