Complaints Against Vets Are Increasing: Veterinarian Professional License Defense

Most veterinarians get into the business because they like animals and enjoy supporting the human-animal bond that exists between pets and their owners. They begin their practice believing that they’ll never have to defend their license to practice veterinary medicine before their state Veterinary Medical Board (VMB).

Unfortunately, because the relationship between people and their pets is a highly emotional one, this scenario can easily develop when something goes wrong during an animal’s treatment. According to the AVMA, licensing agencies are more aggressively investigating complaints against veterinarians, resulting in an increase in disciplinary board actions.

The state VMB reviews and processes the complaints that it receives. If there are not grounds for disciplinary action the case is closed, but all too often they may find that some or all of the allegations are valid, and they can take any of several actions, from seeking to revoke the veterinarian’s license to issuing a fine or reprimand.

Common charges that require professional license defense include unprofessional conduct, substance abuse, inaccurate or missing controlled substance records, incompetence or negligence. Even when charges may appear frivolous they must still be taken seriously.

That’s where we come in. You need to provide a dynamic and persuasive defense which can get your case dismissed or ensure that if disciplinary action is taken, it is minimal. Even if your license is not revoked, there are many onerous conditions that can be attached to allowing you to continue practicing. In addition, you can lose your professional reputation and standing in the community, which interferes with your ability to make a living.

Fabian Hoffner specializes in professional license defense, and he knows and understands the processes of the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine. If you have received notification of a complaint against you or your practice, you should contact him immediately. Don’t let an emotional situation derail your ability to practice veterinary medicine.