Code of Ethics for Veterinarians

CODE OF ETHICS FOR VETERINARIANS

The honour and dignity of the veterinary profession lie in the observance of a just and
reasonable Code of Ethics set forth as a guide to veterinarians. The purpose of the Code is to
assure the community the best service of which veterinarians are capable and to promote cooperation within the ranks of the profession. In addition, exemplary professional conduct not only
upholds honour and dignity, but also enlarges our sphere of usefulness, exalts our social standards
and promotes the science we cultivate.
Fundamentally, there are four (4) guiding principles for the veterinarians:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

To pursue the work of his profession with uprightness of conduct.

To serve the community to the utmost of his ability.
To constantly endeavour to ensure the welfare of animals committed to his care.
To seek no personal advantage at the expense of his professional colleagues.

It is not possible to cover the entire field of veterinary medical ethics in this Code.
Professional life is too complex to classify one's duties and obligations to his clients, colleagues and
fellow citizens into a set of rules. However, it is the solemn duty of all veterinarians to deport
themselves in accordance with the spirit of this Code.
1

A veterinarian should conduct himself in relation to the public, his colleagues and their
patients, and the allied professions, so as to merit their full confidence and respect.
1.1

Conduct characterising the personal behaviour of a professional is expected of all

veterinarians.
No member shall belittle or injure the professional standing of another member of
the profession or unnecessarily condemn the character of his professional acts.

1.2

Veterinarians shall avoid the impropriety of employing methods to attract public

attention or boast of possessing superior knowledge or skill in the treatment or
prevention of any disease.

1.3

It is unethical to guarantee a cure.

A veterinarian may choose whom he will serve. Once he has undertaken care of a patient he
must not neglect it. However, in an emergency he should render service to the best of his
ability. He shall not solicit clients.
2.1

Advertising
The necessity and right of the individual to bring before the public notice of the fact
that veterinary services are available from the veterinarian at a given place and the
scope of these services are recognised. The guiding principle of advertising by a
member of the profession is that such advertising shall not be detrimental to his
colleagues, nor of such a nature as to lower the status of the profession in the eyes
of the public. However, a veterinarian may inform his/her clients of the facilities
available within his/her practice.
Objectionable Advertising consists of :
2.1.1
2.1.2
2.1.3
2.1.4
2.1.5

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Advertising personal superiority over one's colleagues.

Advertising secret remedies or exclusive methods.
Advertising case reports, allegedly unintentional.
Advertising hospital and office equipment and the special service rendered
therewith.
Advertising the building or occupation of a new hospital as an unsolicited
news item of the local press may be considered unavoidable and

Code of Ethics for Veterinarians

unobjectionable. Solicited and repeated publicity of this class is, however,

frowned upon.
2.2

2.3

Newspapers
2.2.1

An advertisement may be inserted limited to the announcement of the

commencement, discontinuance, resumption, removal, sale or purchase of
a practice, as the case may be. The wordings of the advertisement shall be
limited to the names, degrees and address of the veterinarian, the title of
"veterinary surgeon" or any like title to indicate the type of practice
conducted, his hours of consultation and telephone number. Any such
advertisement shall not appear more than once in any one issue of a
newspaper or journal and shall be limited to two issues of the newspaper or
journal.

2.2.2

Articles on professional subjects may be published in the Press, signed only

with the name, title and degree of the veterinarian, provided they contain no
advertising matter which would be to the advantage of the author. Articles
published by a paper subsequent to an interview with a reporter should as
far as possible be governed by the same principles as those set out
regarding signed articles.

Public Lectures, Television & Radio Broadcasts

These should be subject to the same provisions as are laid down for newspaper
articles, that is only the name, degree and titles should be mentioned and no
advertising matter included which is to the personal advantage of the speaker.

2.4

Trade Advertisement
No veterinarian shall give any report upon any appliance or drug for any proprietor,
distributor or vendor, for publication with his name attached.

2.5

Name Plates and Professional Signs.

Display signs of reasonable size and dimensions on veterinary clinics or hospitals
are not regarded as objectionable, provided they do not announce special services.
Display signs should be conservative and in keeping with the surrounding so as to
enhance the appearance.

2.6

Directory Listings
A veterinarian may list his name, degree, title together with the address of his
residence or his premises at which he is in daily or periodic attendance in the official
telephone directory in ordinary type and setting.
In principle, this ruling is intended to make the listing of names in such a way as to
give all of them identical visual prominence.

2.7

Professional Stationery
The letterhead of a professional man should be modest, announcing only name,
title, address, telephone number and office hours.
In view of the degree of specialisation in veterinary practice in recent years, a
veterinarian may announce on his cards and letterheads that his practice is limited
to treatment of diseases of small animals, poultry, pigs or large animals.

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Code of Ethics for Veterinarians

2.8

Emergency Service
When called in an emergency as a substitute for a fellow practitioner in his absence,
it is the veterinarian's duty to render the necessary service and then turn the patient
over to his colleague upon his return.

A veterinarian should strive continually to improve veterinary knowledge and skill, making
available to his colleagues the benefit of his professional attainments and seeking through
consultation, assistance of others when it appears that the quality of service may be
enhanced thereby.
3.1

Consultation and Referrals

When a second opinion is discussed by a practitioner or his client it is the duty of
the practitioner, with the client's consent, to arrange for consultation with, or referral
to, an appropriate colleague.
3.1.1

Definitions
Consultation - A deliberation between two or more veterinarians concerning
the diagnosis of a patients disease and the management of the case.
Transfer of responsibility does not occur.

3.1.2

Referral Procedure:
Communication between veterinarians should be by letter, telephone, or
direct contact. The most appropriate method of communication should be
determined by the parties involved. By whatever means of communication,
the attending veterinarian should make it clear that he is requesting referral,
not consultation.
The attending veterinarian should provide the receiving veterinarian with all
the appropriate information pertinent to the case. The receiving veterinarian
should have such information by the time the patient arrives.
When the receiving veterinarian has examined the patient and made
definite findings, he should promptly report his findings to the attending
veterinarian.
Immediately upon discharging the patient, the receiving veterinarian should
send the attending veterinarian a detailed report (preferably written) and
advise him as to continuing care of the patient.
The receiving veterinarian should inform the client that he will not treat the
patient for any ailment other than that involved in the referral, except in
emergencies or upon consultation with the veterinarian who referred the
patient.
Each veterinarian involved will collect his own fee from the client.
It is unethical for a veterinarian to accept or pay a fee in connection with
referrals.

3.1.3

Consultation Procedure:
If possible, a consultant should examine the patient in the presence of the
practitioner and if he disagrees with the diagnosis or treatment he should
confer with the practitioner privately. Any statement, which the consultant
may make to a client, should be made in the practitioners hearing, if

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Code of Ethics for Veterinarians

present. Consultants must be especially careful to avoid discrediting a

practitioner in the eyes of his client. Consultants should not revisit the client
or communicate directly with him without the knowledge of the practitioner.
In no instance shall a consultant take charge of a case without the consent
of all concerned, nor should he receive or give any commission or arrange
for any sharing of fees with the member by whom he was called in
consultation. His account should be rendered to the practitioner and not to
the client.
Consultation should be conducted in such a spirit of professional cooperation between consultant and attending veterinarian as to assure the
clients confidence in veterinary medicine.
4

A veterinarian should not employ his professional knowledge and attainments nor dispose of
his services under terms and conditions which tend to interfere with the free exercise of his
judgement and skill or tend to cause a deterioration of the quality of veterinary service.
4.1

Alliance with Unqualified persons

No veterinarian should aid or countenance veterinary practice by an unregistered
person or allow his name or qualifications to be used for such purposes.
He should not meet an unqualified person in consultation nor permit any unqualified
employee to diagnose disease or give any medical or surgical treatment except
under his direction. An unqualified assistant should be under the personal
supervision of the veterinarian and may not make visits, attend or treat cases
requiring professional discretion or skill.

4.2

Commercial enterprises
A veterinarian who engages in a commercial enterprise that directly concerns or
indirectly concerns animal health and production must conduct the business in such
a manner that veterinary ethical standards are maintained. Sale of animal remedies
from professional rooms shall not be conducted in any way that may lower the
status of the profession. No advertising used in the conduct of the trading business
shall in any way be associated with the veterinary practice or be designed to attract
clients to the veterinary practice.
(a)

A veterinarian who is in practice or his lay assistant may sell drugs or

animal remedies of recognised value or instruments or medicated food from
the veterinarian's professional rooms providing that:
i)
ii)
iii)

iv)
(b)

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The veterinarian has attended the animal or animals in

question; or
The owner of the animal or animals is a bona fide client in
the sense that the veterinarian has visited the property or
has examined animals from that property; or
The veterinarian has discussed the case with owner and
having regard to all known circumstances, is reasonably
satisfied that the product or products supplied will be used
correctly and are well suited for the purpose.
The products sold are not displayed in the professional
rooms or advertised in anyway by the veterinarian.

A veterinarian who is in practice may own and manage a trading business

for the retail sale of drugs or animal remedies of recognised value and of
disclosed contents or instruments or medicated food providing that:

Code of Ethics for Veterinarians

i)

ii)
iii)

Any consulting room surgery, laboratory, diagnostic facilities

or dispensary associated with the practice must be part of
the processional rooms and should be physically distinct
from the premises used for the trading business.
Drugs restricted for use by veterinary surgeons or legally
available only on prescription shall not be sold from the
trading business.
Except as required by law, the name of the veterinarian or
the name under which the practice is conducted, and the
title, degrees or address of the veterinarian or any
indication of same, shall not be displayed in or on the
trading premises, nor be mentioned in any advertising of
the trading premises.

Any vehicle displaying an advertisement associated with the

business shall be regarded as part of the trading premises and shall
not be used in connection with the veterinarian's practice.
5

Ownership and control of veterinary practices by lay persons

It is undesirable, both from a professional and public point of view, that any veterinarian in
the conduct of a private practice should be subject to the direction or control of a lay person
or persons.

Veterinarians should observe all laws, uphold the honour and dignity of the profession, and
accept its self-imposed discipline. The veterinary profession should safeguard the public and
itself against veterinarians deficient in moral character or professional competence.
6.1
6.2
6.3

The issuing of false certificates of health on official documents and careless

compliance with official regulations that the veterinarian is entrusted to endorse is
deemed a violation of professional honestly.
It is unprofessional to aid in illegal practices of others.
It is the duty of veterinarians to report illegal practices to the proper authorities.

The responsibility of the veterinary profession extends not only to the patient but also to
society.
7.1

The veterinarian should first of all be a good citizen and leader in movements to
advance community welfare. He should commit no act that will reflect unfavourably
upon the worthiness of the profession.

7.2

All opinions on veterinary subjects which are communicated to the lay public
through any medium, whether it be a public meeting, the press, radio or television
should be presented as from the veterinary profession and not as from an individual
veterinarian. Such opinions should represent what is generally accepted opinion of
the veterinary profession and should be presented as such.

7.3

Veterinarians taking charge of columns in which answers to correspondences on

veterinary questions are printed in newspapers and magazines for the public are apt
to cause serious ethical repercussions. Authors should avoid controversial subjects.

END

May 1995