Today’s Veterinary Business Staff

The American Animal Hospital Association has released a statement detailing the organization’s opposition to creating a midlevel veterinary practitioner role. Advocates argue that the job would improve access to care, especially in underserved areas.
However, AAHA pointed to unintended consequences, such as:
- Inadequate education and training: Midlevel practitioners could diagnose conditions, create treatment plans and perform surgeries but would not be required to undergo the same education and training as licensed veterinarians. AAHA believes that could compromise patient safety and the quality of veterinary care. “There is no established licensing or testing to evaluate the graduate’s readiness for practice, which can lead to unintended fatal errors, increased morbidity/mortality, and more liability for veterinarians and veterinary practices,” AAHA stated.
- Regulatory and licensing challenges: AAHA cited potential regulatory complications as a concern. The organization suggested that since no clear structure for managing licensing, certification or prescriptive authority has been established, problems, such as delays in emergency treatment and difficulties ensuring the practitioner’s competency, could occur.
- Impact on credentialed technicians: AAHA is concerned that a new workforce tier could diminish the value of credentialed veterinary technicians because of overlap and confusion between the two roles. The situation could lead to decreased recognition, compensation and career advancement of credentialed technicians and exacerbate retention problems.
“Increasing the capacity for care is best achieved by investing in the comprehensive integration and advancement of the clearly defined role of credentialed veterinary technicians in a team-based environment,” AAHA noted.
AAHA’s opposition aligns with organizations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and the American Association of Equine Practitioners.