Florida Senate - 2017                          SENATOR AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for HB 7047
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì2570280Î257028                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
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               Floor: 1a/RE/2R         .                                
             05/02/2017 07:31 PM       .                                
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       Senator Latvala moved the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment to Amendment (226306) (with title
    2  amendment)
    3  
    4         Between lines 275 and 276
    5  insert:
    6         Section 15. Section 474.2195, Florida Statutes, is created
    7  to read to read:
    8         474.2195 Veterinary telemedicine.—
    9         (1) As used in this section, the term:
   10         (a) “Patient relationship” means a relationship where the
   11  veterinarian has assumed the responsibility of making medical
   12  judgments regarding the health of an animal and its need for
   13  medical treatment.
   14         (b) “Physical examination” means the evaluation of a
   15  patient by a veterinarian through personal inspection,
   16  palpation, and auscultation of the patient. This definition does
   17  not apply to s. 474.2185.
   18         (c) “Veterinary telemedicine” means the practice of
   19  veterinary medicine by a Florida-licensed veterinarian which
   20  includes a complete physical examination and the establishment
   21  of a patient relationship in which patient care, treatment, or
   22  service is provided through the use of medical information
   23  exchanged from one site to another via electronic
   24  communications.
   25         (2) The standard of care for a veterinarian providing
   26  veterinary telemedicine services to a patient is the same as the
   27  standard of care generally accepted for a veterinarian providing
   28  in-person health care services.
   29         (3) Veterinary telemedicine must be practiced within the
   30  context of a patient relationship except for care, treatment, or
   31  service provided to a patient in an emergency until the patient
   32  can be seen by or transported to a veterinarian.
   33         (4) In the case of herd animals, the establishment of a
   34  patient relationship does not require the physical examination
   35  of each animal.
   36         (5) A veterinarian may consult on patient care with another
   37  veterinarian who has an ongoing patient relationship with the
   38  patient, including the use of any prescription medication, and
   39  may consult on on-call or cross-coverage cases in which the
   40  veterinarian has access to patient records, via electronic
   41  communications.
   42  
   43  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   44  And the title is amended as follows:
   45         Between lines 844 and 845
   46  insert:
   47         creating s. 474.2195, F.S.; defining terms; specifying
   48         the standard of care required for veterinary
   49         telemedicine services; requiring veterinary
   50         telemedicine to be practiced within the context of a
   51         patient relationship; providing an exception;
   52         specifying that physical examination of each animal is
   53         not required for herd animals; authorizing a
   54         veterinarian to consult with another veterinarian
   55         under certain circumstances;