61G18-16.002 Continuing Education Requirements for Active Status License Renewal.

(1) All licensed veterinarians shall be required to obtain continuing professional education which contributes to the advancement, extension or enhancement of professional skills and knowledge in the field of veterinary medicine.

(2) Licensed veterinarians shall complete a minimum of thirty (30) hours of continuing professional education in veterinary medicine every biennium. Beginning on June 1, 2012, no less than one (1) hour of continuing education shall be in the area of dispensing legend drugs and no less than two (2) hours of continuing education shall be in the area of the laws and rules governing the practice of veterinary medicine. For the purposes of this rule, the laws and rules governing the practice of veterinary medicine are Chapters 455 and 474, F.S. and Rule Chapter 61G18, F.A.C.

(a) One (1) hour equals a minimum of fifty (50) minutes and a maximum of sixty (60) minutes. Total hours of lecture time cannot be added up and divided into 50 minute intervals to obtain 1 hour credit for each 50 minute interval.

(b) Not more than fifteen (15) hours shall be non-interactive, correspondence courses. Computer on-line programs that involve on-line, real time, live or delayed participatory questioning or responses are not correspondence courses.

(c) Five (5) hours of continuing education in laws and rules may be obtained once per biennium by attending one full day or eight (8) hours of a Board meeting (whichever is shorter) at which disciplinary hearings are conducted by the Board of Veterinary Medicine by complying with the following:

1. The licensee must sign in with the Executive Director of the Board or designee before the meeting day begins.

2. The licensee must remain in continuous attendance.

3. The licensee must sign out with the Executive Director of the Board or designee at the end of the meeting day or at such other earlier time as affirmatively authorized by the Board. A licensee may receive continuing education credit for attending the Board meeting only if he or she is attending on the date solely for the purpose of obtaining continuing education; he or she may not receive credit if appearing at the Board meeting for another purpose.

(3) During the license renewal period of each biennium, an application for renewal will be mailed to each licensee at the last address provided to the Board. Failure to receive any notification during this period does not relieve the licensee of the responsibility of meeting the requirement. The application for renewal shall include a form on which the licensee shall state that he has completed the required continuing education. The licensee must retain for a period of not less than three years from the date the course was taken certificates of attendance or verification from the provider, to document completion of the continuing education certified on the renewal form. The Board will audit at random a number of licensees as is necessary to assure that the continuing education requirements are met.

(4) Failure to comply with the continuing professional education requirement shall prohibit license renewal and result in delinquent status at the end of the renewal period.

(5) A licensed veterinarian shall not be required to complete a continuing education requirement prior to the first renewal of his license, but it shall be required prior to any subsequent renewal.

(6) Failure to document compliance with the continuing education requirements or the furnishing of false or misleading information regarding compliance shall be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including license revocation.

Rulemaking Authority 474.206, 474.211, 474.212 FS. Law Implemented 474.211 FS. History-New 11-14-79, Amended 11-1-81, Formerly 21X-16.02, Amended 4-20-88, 11-2-88, 3-26-90, Formerly 21X-16.002, Amended 8-18-94, 2-6-95, 3-20-95, 9-24-96, 11-28-96, 12-30-97, 5-22-12.