Ethical, Legal, and Safety Issues in Veterinary Medicine

Comprehensive flashcards covering the ethical, legal, and safety standards within the veterinary profession, including specific laws, biosafety levels, and workplace hazards.

Ethics

The system of moral principles that determines appropriate behavior and actions within a specific group.

Descriptive Ethics

A branch of ethics concerned with what members of a profession think is right or wrong, such as the Veterinary Technician's Oath.

Official Ethics

Ethical standards created and adopted by professional organizations and imposed on members, such as the AVMA Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics.

Administrative Ethics

Ethical actions or protocols mandated by government bodies, such as licensure requirements or DEA protocols.

Normative Ethics

An individual's attempt to discover their own moral standards and norms for professional behavior, such as a stance on convenience euthanasia.

ASPCA

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, created in $1866$.

Human-animal bond

The special, healthy relationship between people and their pets.

Standards for animal care

The duty to exercise the care that would be exercised by a reasonably competent veterinarian under the same circumstances.

Professional judgment

The freedom given to all veterinarians to treat a case in the way they believe is best.

Veterinary Practice Act

State laws that define the practice of veterinary medicine and the legal limits of veterinary technicians within that state.

Board of Veterinary Examiners

A body responsible for interpreting the law and standards of care, with the mission to protect consumers and review cases of medical negligence.

Medical Records

The single biggest defense against a complaint and an employee's ethical obligation for documenting animal care.

Three Rs

Principles for biomedical research involving animals: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement.

Mississippi Animal Rabies Law

Statute restricting vaccine administration to veterinarians or licensed designees, requiring vaccination at $3$ months, a booster $1$ year later, and then every $3$ years.

Negligence

Performing an act that a person of ordinary prudence would not have done under similar circumstances, or the failure to perform such an act.

Malpractice

Professional negligence that occurs when a licensed professional fails to provide care as set by the standards of a governing body, resulting in injury.

Respondeat superior

A legal doctrine stating that an employer is responsible for the actions of the employee.

OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Act/Administration, which enforces federal laws to ensure a safe workplace for businesses affecting commerce.

SDS (Safety Data Sheets)

Documents required for all chemical products sold or used in a practice, originally called Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS).

Whistle-blower

An employee protected by OSHA from retaliation for exercising rights such as filing a complaint or participating in an inspection.

FLSA (Fair Labor Standard Act)

A federal law enacted in $1938$ that sets standards for minimum wage, overtime pay, and youth employment.

Non-exempt employees

Workers entitled to paid overtime, a category that generally includes veterinary technicians and technologists.

Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act

A $1970$ act regulating the manufacturing, distribution, and delivery of drugs with potential for abuse.

DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency)

The primary federal law enforcement agency responsible for combating the abuse of controlled substances.

Animal Welfare Act (AWA)

Federal law under the USDA that governs the care and use of animals in the biomedical industry.

IACUC

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee; must consist of at least $5$ members including a veterinarian and a practicing scientist.

SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)

A detailed written description of how each important procedure at an institution should be performed.

Biosafety Level I

Classification for agents that do not ordinarily cause disease in humans, requiring normal sanitation procedures.

Biosafety Level IV

Classification for agents with a high risk of life-threatening disease, such as Ebola, requiring maximum containment and personnel shower-in/shower-out protocols.

Ethylene oxide

A human carcinogen gas used to sterilize equipment that would be damaged by other sterilization methods.

Formalin

A chemical used for the storage of tissue samples and in certain diagnostic tests.

Dosimetry badge

A device that must be worn by personnel to monitor exposure while working with radiation hazards.