WAC 246-935-040. Responsibilities of a veterinarian supervising a licensed veterinary technician or an unregistered assistant

It is the supervising veterinarian's responsibility to delegate animal health care tasks only if the licensed veterinary technician or unregistered assistant is qualified, competent, educated, trained, and able. The supervising veterinarian shall ensure the delegated task is appropriate for the species of the animal patient. (1) A veterinarian must not delegate: (a) To any licensed veterinary technician the performance of any animal health care services not authorized by WAC 246-935-040 or 246-935-050 . (b) To any unregistered assistant the performance of any animal health care services not authorized by WAC 246-935-040 or 246-935-050 . (2) The supervising veterinarian shall: (a) Have legal responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of the animal patient which the licensed veterinary technician or unregistered assistant serves. (b) Use the level of supervision required for a specific task. (c) Make all decisions relating to the diagnosis, treatment, management, and future disposition of an animal patient. (d) Limit the number of unregistered assistants under indirect supervision to that which is appropriate for the circumstances. (e) Allow licensed veterinary technicians and unregistered assistants the right and responsibility to refuse to perform duties they are not legally or technically able to perform. (3) A supervising veterinarian shall examine the animal patient prior to the delegation of any animal health care task to either a licensed veterinary technician or unregistered assistant. The examination of the animal patient must be conducted at the times and in the manner consistent with veterinary medicine practice, and the particular delegated animal health care task. (4) If a licensed veterinary technician is authorized to provide supervision for an unregistered assistant performing a specified health care task, the licensed veterinary technician must be under the same degree of supervision by the veterinarian, as if the licensed veterinary technician were performing the task.