South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 120 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION- BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICAL EXAMINERS
Section 120-10 - Veterinary Facilities. General Requirements; Laboratory Services; Surgical; Pharmacological; Emergency Treatment
Universal Citation: SC Code Regs 120-10
Current through Register Vol. 48, 12, December 27, 2024
A. General Requirements.
(1) All areas of the premises shall be
maintained in a clean, offensive-odor free and orderly condition at all
times.
(2) All required equipment
must be in satisfactory working order.
(3) The minimum standards for all facilities
shall include:
(a) Adequate heating and
cooling for the comfort of the animals;
(b) Sufficient ventilation in all
areas;
(c) Proper lighting in all
rooms;
(d) Hot and cold running
water from an approved source;
(e)
Adequate toilets and lavatories for personnel and clients;
(f) Sanitary storage which is adequate for
the size of the facility;
(g)
Interior and exterior receptacles for waste disposal which shall comply with
state and local regulations;
(h) A
procedure for the prompt, sanitary and aesthetic disposal of dead animals which
complies with state and local regulations;
(4) Examination Areas. The facility
examination area shall have:
(a) Waste
receptacles or chutes;
(b) A table
with impervious top surface; and
(c) Proper lighting.
B. Laboratory Services.
(1) A facility where examination, diagnosis
and treatment of or surgery on animal patients is provided by a veterinarian
shall have an in-house laboratory or the services of a consultant laboratory
for blood chemistries, cultures and antibiotic sensitivity examinations,
complete blood counts, histopathological examinations, occult heartworm
determination, and complete necropsies.
(2) Laboratory facilities must have a minimum
capability to conduct:
(a) standard
urinalysis;
(b) micro-hematocrit
determination;
(c) fecal flotation
tests for ova of internal parasites;
(d) dermal scrapings for external parasite
diagnosis;
(e) examination for
microfilaria and occult heartworm detection; and
(f) feline leukemia and feline
immunodeficiency virus testing.
(3) In-house laboratory facility standards:
(a) Clean and orderly;
(b) Ample storage;
(c) Ample refrigeration.
C. Surgical Facilities.
(1) Surgery shall be performed in a room that
can be easily sanitized and is free of unnecessary traffic flow during surgical
procedures.
(2) Sterilization must
include a steam pressure sterilizer, gas sterilizer, autoclave equipment or
cold sterilization. Cold sterilization must be used in conjunction with a steam
pressure sterilizer, gas sterilizer or autoclave equipment.
(3) Surgical instruments and equipment shall
be consistent with the surgical service being provided.
(4) Storage in the surgery area shall be
limited to surgical items.
(5)
Emergency drugs must be available to the surgery area.
(6) Sterilized instruments, gowns, towels,
drapes, gloves, caps and masks shall be available for surgery.
(7) Positive pressure and oxygen shall be
available in medical facility environments.
D. Pharmacological Facilities.
(1) A veterinarian shall not prescribe,
dispense or administer any drug or biological agent that bears the legend
"Caution: Federal Law restricts this drug to the use by or on the order of a
licensed veterinarian," or any other term which specifies the medication as a
legend drug, without the establishment of a veterinarian/client/patient
relationship.
(2) The supervising
veterinarian shall:
(a) maintain all drugs and
biological agents in compliance with state and federal laws;
(b) ensure that any legend drugs and
biological agents prescribed for use in the veterinary facility are properly
administered;
(c) maintain accurate
records to include the strength, dosage and quantity of all medications used or
prescribed;
(d) instruct clients on
the administration of drugs when applicable.
(3) Repackaged Legend Drugs.
(a) Repackaged legend drugs shall be
dispensed in approved safety closure containers, where applicable.
(b) Repackaged legend drugs dispensed shall
be labeled with the following:
(i) name,
address and telephone number of the facility;
(ii) client's last name;
(iii) patient's name;
(iv) date dispensed;
(v) directions for use;
(vi) name of the drug and its strength (if
more than one dosage form exists) and the amount of the drug dispensed;
and
(vii) name of the prescribing
veterinarian.
(4) The veterinarian shall maintain records
of all medications prescribed and dispensed for any animal in that animal's
file. The pharmaceutical record information may be transferred, in whole or in
part, from one veterinarian to another, in writing or by telephone, when
necessary to continue treatment or disease prevention by medication started by
the original attending veterinarian.
(5) Federal Drug Enforcement Administration
Registration. A veterinarian who has a Federal Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) number and uses, dispenses, administers or prescribes controlled
substances shall comply with the federal and state laws pertaining to the
dispensing, prescribing, storage and usage of controlled substances. All
controlled substances dispensed or prescribed shall be recorded in a controlled
substance register. Each veterinarian who maintains a DEA registration shall
maintain a controlled substance register in compliance with DEA
requirements.
E. Emergency Treatment Facilities.
(1) Emergency
treatment may be provided by:
(a) a
veterinarian on the premises at all times to receive and manage emergency
cases; or
(b) a veterinarian who is
on-call and available to receive and manage emergency cases as
requested.
(2) Public
Notice. The public shall be informed of the available emergency services by a
"Notice to the Public" posting. The notice shall be prominently located and
easily accessible to clients. The posting shall include contact information for
the on-call veterinarian or other veterinary facilities offering additional
emergency services.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. South Carolina may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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