Have a legal or regulatory question? The FVMA can help.
QUESTION: If an employee owes the clinic for services or products and has not paid in a timely manner, can the money owed be deducted from their paycheck?
ANSWER: There are deductions that can be taken from a paycheck with the employee’s consent/authorization. If the employee, in this case, has not consented to making payments for the services/goods as a deduction, I am going to err on the safe side and say you cannot.
QUESTION: I seek clarification regarding digital signatures. When generating prescriptions for both controlled and non-controlled substances, is an ink signature mandated, or would a printed signature suffice for the printed prescriptions?
ANSWER: A printed signature is not a “digital” signature. A digital signature is generated through an authentication protocol created by approved software. Electronic prescriptions through approved software that generates a digital signature are OK. Printed signatures are OK for noncontrolled.
QUESTION: What are you supposed to do with your DEA license when you leave a practice? Do I take DEA certificate with me when I leave? What if I take longer than 30 days to get a new job? Is there some provision for a relief vet who’s at different clinics?
ANSWER: You would need to notify DEA of the change of address in 30 days. Follow this link: www.deadiversion. usdoj.gov/drugreg/registration.html Take your DEA registration certificate with you. A relief vet that works at several clinics and does not have “one principal place of practice” should provide his/her home address as the registered location. Just like the house call vets.
One of the benefits of an FAEP membership is our helpline (800-992-3862), which is available to members Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Our helpline also provides insight to the FVMA/FAEP staff of the challenges and concerns of our members. In this feature, we will highlight topics from the questions we received in preceding weeks as a part of an effort to keep our members up to date on current concerns, as well as regulatory and legislative changes.