S 3212

SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3212
     Senate, July 23, 2026 -- Text of amendment (189) (offered by Senator Moore) to the Ways and
     Means amendment (Senate, No. 3178) to the House Bill relative to economic development in the
     commonwealth.
  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  _______________
  In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
  (2025-2026)
  _______________
1by inserting after section __ the following sections:-
2SECTION __. Section 54A of chapter 112 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024
3 edition, is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following:-
4“Veterinarian-client Patient Relationship (VCPR)”, (a) the veterinarian has assumed the
5 responsibility for making clinical judgments regarding the health of the patient and the client has
6 agreed to follow the veterinarian's instructions; (b) the veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of
7 the patient to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the
8 patient. This means that the veterinarian and/or his or her veterinary practice has recently seen,
9 or is personally acquainted with, the care of the animal patient by doing any of the following: (1)
10 examining the animal patient in person, or (2) examining the animal patient by use of
11 synchronous audio-video communication, or (3) making medically appropriate and timely visits
12 to the premises on which the animal patient is kept; (c) the veterinarian is readily available for
13 follow-up evaluation or has arranged for the following: veterinary emergency coverage and
14 continuing care and treatment; (d) the VCPR shall extend to associate veterinarians within the
15 same practice.
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16SECTION __. Section 58A1/2 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended
17 by striking subsection (b) and inserting place thereof the following:-
18(b) A veterinarian may dispense a compounded drug to a companion animal if: (i) the
19 companion animal is a patient within a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship; (ii) the
20 quantity dispensed does not exceed a 120 hour supply; (iii) the compounded drug is for the
21 treatment of an emergency condition; and (iv) timely access to a compounding pharmacy is not
22 available, as determined by the prescribing veterinarian.
23SECTION __. Chapter 112 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
24 inserting the following new section:-
25Section 55B.
26(a) A veterinarian shall not prescribe, dispense, or administer a drug, medicine,
27 application, or treatment of whatever nature for the prevention, cure, or relief of a wound,
28 fracture, bodily injury, or disease of animals unless a veterinarian-client-patient relationship
29 exists or as otherwise permitted by law, except when the animal patient is a wild animal or the
30 owner of the animal patient is unknown. A veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists if all of
31 the following conditions are met:
32(1) The client has authorized the veterinarian to assume responsibility for medical
33 judgments regarding the health of the animal patient; and
34(2) The veterinarian possesses sufficient knowledge of the animal patient to initiate at
35 least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the animal patient’s medical condition; and
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36(3) The veterinarian has assumed responsibility for making medical judgments regarding
37 the health of the animal patient and has communicated with the client a medical, treatment,
38 diagnostic, or therapeutic plan appropriate to the circumstances.
39(b) A veterinarian possesses sufficient knowledge of the animal patient for if the
40 veterinarian has recently seen, or is personally acquainted with, the care of the animal patient by
41 doing any of the following:
42(1) Examining the animal patient in person; or
43(2) Examining the animal patient by use of synchronous audio-video communication; or
44(3) Making medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises on which the animal
45 patient is kept.
46(c) For purposes of paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (a), the client may authorize an
47 agent to act on the client’s behalf.
48(d) Synchronous audio-video communication is not required for the delivery of veterinary
49 medicine via telehealth after a veterinarian-client-patient relationship has been established unless
50 the veterinarian determines that it is necessary in order to provide care consistent with prevailing
51 veterinary medical practice.
52(e) A veterinarian-client-patient relationship shall not be established solely by audio-only
53 communication or by means of a questionnaire.
54(f) Only a person who holds a current license to practice veterinary medicine in this state
55 is authorized to practice veterinary medicine via telehealth on an animal patient located in this
56 state.
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57(g) Before delivering veterinary medicine via telehealth, the veterinarian shall inform the
58 client about the use and potential limitations of telehealth and obtain consent from the client to
59 use telehealth, including acknowledgment of all of the following:
60(1) The same standards of care apply to veterinary medicine services via telehealth and
61 in-person veterinary medical services; and
62(2) The client has the option to choose an in-person visit from a veterinarian at any time;
63 and
64(3) The client has been advised how to receive follow-up care or assistance in the event
65 of an adverse reaction to the treatment or in the event of an inability to communicate resulting
66 from technological or equipment failure.
67(h) A veterinarian who practices veterinary medicine via telehealth shall do all of the
68 following:
69(1) Ensure that the technology, method, and equipment used to provide veterinary
70 medicine services via telehealth comply with all current privacy protection laws.
71(2) Have historical knowledge of the animal patient by obtaining and reviewing the
72 animal patient’s relevant medical history, and, if available, medical records. If medical records
73 exist from a previous in-person visit and are available to the client, the client may transmit those
74 records, including any diagnostic data contained therein, to the veterinarian electronically.
75(3) Employ sound professional judgment to determine whether using telehealth is an
76 appropriate method for delivering medical advice or treatment to the animal patient and
77 providing quality of care consistent with prevailing veterinary medical practice.
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78(4) Be familiar with available medical resources, including emergency resources near the
79 animal patient’s location, be able to provide the client with a list of nearby veterinarians who
80 may be able to see the animal patient in person upon the request of the client, and keep, maintain,
81 and make available a summary of the animal patient record.
82(5) Provide the client with the veterinarian’s name, contact information, and license
83 number.
84(6) Secure an alternative means of contacting the client if the electronic means is
85 interrupted.
86(i) (1) A veterinarian shall not prescribe a drug for a duration of time that is inconsistent
87 with the medical condition of the animal patient or the type of drug prescribed.
88(2) A veterinarian who established the required veterinarian-client-patient relationship by
89 examining the animal patient in person or by making medically appropriate and timely visits to
90 the premises on which the animal patient is kept shall not prescribe a drug for a duration of time
91 that is longer than one year from the date that the veterinarian examined the animal patient in
92 person or visited the premises and prescribed the drug.
93(3) Except as provided in paragraphs (4) to (7), inclusive, of this subsection, a
94 veterinarian who practices veterinary medicine via telehealth may order, prescribe, or make
95 available drugs, as defined in Section 1 of Massachusetts Controlled Substance Act (Title XV
96 Chapter 94C), in accordance with all relevant state and federal regulations.
97(4) A veterinarian who established the required veterinarian-client-patient relationship
98 using synchronous audio-video communication shall not prescribe a drug to the animal patient
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99 for use for a period longer than six months from the date upon which the veterinarian examined
100 the animal patient or prescribed the drug. The veterinarian shall not issue another prescription to
101 the animal patient for the same drug unless they have conducted another examination of the
102 animal patient, either in person or using telehealth.
103(5) A veterinarian who established the required veterinarian-client-patient relationship
104 using synchronous audio-video communication shall not prescribe an antimicrobial drug to the
105 animal patient for a period longer than 14 days of treatment. The veterinarian shall not issue any
106 further antimicrobial drug prescription, including a refill, to treat the condition of the animal
107 patient unless the veterinarian has conducted an in-person examination of the animal patient.
108(6) The veterinarian shall not order, prescribe, or make available a controlled substance,
109 as defined in Section 1 of Massachusetts Controlled Substance Act (Title XV Chapter 94C), or
110 xylazine, unless the veterinarian has performed an in-person physical examination of the animal
111 patient or made medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal patient
112 is kept.
113(7) The veterinarian shall notify the client that some prescription drugs or medications
114 may be available at a pharmacy and, if requested, the veterinarian shall submit a prescription to a
115 pharmacy that the client chooses.
116(j) A veterinarian is permitted to use telehealth without establishing a veterinarian-client-
117 patient relationship in order to provide advice in an emergency.
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