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Florida Administrative Code (Last Updated: June 27, 2024) |
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61. Department of Business and Professional Regulation |
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61G18. Board of Veterinary Medicine |
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61G18-18. Medical Records Of Deceased Veterinarians; Retention, Time Limitations |
1(1) Every veterinarian or entity licensed pursuant to chapter 474, F.S., who terminates practice or relocates practice and is no longer available to patients or clients, shall retain medical records pertaining to patients for at least a period of 3 years after the date of last entry.
48(2) No later than one month after the veterinarian or entity terminates practice or relocates practice and is no longer available to patients or clients, the veterinarian or entity shall do one of the following:
83(a) Cause to be published in the newspaper of greatest general circulation in the county where the veterinarian or entity resided or practiced, a notice indicating to the owners of the patients of said veterinarian or entity that the medical records are available to the owners of the patients or their duly constituted representative from a specific person at a specific location. At the conclusion of a 3 year period of time from the date that the veterinarian or entity terminated practice or relocated practice and was no longer available to patients or clients, the veterinarian or entity shall cause to be published once during each week for 2 consecutive weeks, in the newspaper of greatest general circulation in the county where the veterinarian resided or practiced, a notice indicating to the owners of the patients of the veterinarian or entity that the medical records may be disposed of or destroyed one month or later from the last day of the 4245th 246week of publication of notice. However, nothing herein shall be construed to require that a veterinarian or entity ever destroy the medical records; it permits destruction of records after 3 years and requires notification to clients that the records can be destroyed.
288(b) Send electronic notifications, either email or text, to all clients that have been seen within the last 3 years a notice indicating to the owners of the patients of the veterinarian or terminated or relocated practice, that the veterinarian’s medical records are available to the owners of the patients or their duly constituted representative from a specific person at a certain location and that the veterinarian’s medical reocrds will be disposed of or destroyed in 2 years.
366Rulemaking Authority 368474.206, 369455.242 FS. 371Law Implemented 373455.242 FS. 375History–New 11-1-88, Formerly 21X-18.0015, Amended 7-4-95, 5-23-23.
