1Citation
These regulations are the Veterinary Practice Regulations 2022.
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Bill homepageThese regulations are the Veterinary Practice Regulations 2022.
These regulations come into operation on the day on which the Veterinary Practice Act 2021 section 197 comes into operation.
In these regulations —
advanced veterinary nurse means a veterinary nurse who is recognised by the Board under Part 2 Division 3 Subdivision 2 as an advanced veterinary nurse;
animal product has the meaning given in the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 section 6;
approved direct supervision has the meaning given in regulation 24(1);
approved personal supervision has the meaning given in regulation 24(2);
buffalo means an animal of the genus Bubalus;
castrate, in relation to an animal, means —
remove the descended testes of the animal; or
disrupt the function of the descended testes of the animal;
cattle —
means animals of the genus Bos; and
includes any hybrids of that genus;
cattle spaying technician means a person who has successfully completed a unit, provided by a registered training organisation, that includes training in spaying cattle using the Willis dropped‑ovary technique;
conditional authorisation order has the meaning given in regulation 25D(2)(a);
dehorn, in relation to an animal —
means remove all or part of the horn of the animal; but
does not include removing part of the horn of an animal comprising only keratinised epidermis with no blood supply;
direct supervision has the meaning given in regulation 3B(1);
disbud, in relation to an animal, means, before a horn bud attaches to the animal’s skull, destroy or remove the horn‑producing tissue or otherwise prevent the development of the horn;
election means —
an election of a WA veterinarian for the purposes of section 152(4)(b) of the Act; or
an election of a veterinary nurse for the purposes of section 152(4)(c) of the Act;
election date, for an election, means the date fixed under regulation 27(b) as the date on which the election is to be held;
eligible elector means —
in the case of an election of a WA veterinarian for the purposes of section 152(4)(b) of the Act — a WA veterinarian; or
in the case of an election of a veterinary nurse for the purposes of section 152(4)(c) of the Act — a veterinary nurse;
general supervision has the meaning given in regulation 3C(1);
general veterinary nurse means a veterinary nurse who is not an advanced veterinary nurse;
mules, in relation to a sheep, means remove wool‑bearing skin from the breech or tail of the sheep;
pastoral region means the whole of the State other than —
the South‑west Division of the State as described in the Land Administration Act 1997 Schedule 1; and
the local government districts of Esperance and Ravensthorpe;
permanent identification device means a microchip or other similar identification device that is —
capable of being permanently implanted in an animal; and
is designed to record information in a way that can be electronically retrieved;
person in charge, of an animal, means —
an owner of the animal; or
a person who has responsibility for the custody, care and control of the animal;
personal supervision has the meaning given in regulation 3A;
poison has the meaning given in the Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 section 3;
practitioner means a veterinarian or a veterinary nurse;
prescribe, in relation to a scheduled drug or a poison, has the meaning given in the Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 section 7(1);
prohibition order has the meaning given in regulation 25D(2)(b);
registered training organisation has the meaning given in the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (Commonwealth) section 3;
returning officer, in relation to an election, means the person appointed under regulation 26 to be the returning officer for the purposes of conducting the election;
scheduled drug means a Schedule 4 poison or a Schedule 8 poison as those terms are defined in the Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 section 3;
stock has the meaning given in the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 section 6;
supply, in relation to a scheduled drug or a poison, has the meaning given in the Medicines and Poisons Act 2014 section 8;
veterinary nurse student means a person who is a student undertaking a course in veterinary nursing provided by a registered training organisation;
veterinary student means a person who is a student undertaking —
a course in veterinary medicine at an Australian university; or
a course approved by the Board under regulation 20A(1).
[Regulation 3 amended: SL 2025/92 r. 4.]
A person (a supervised person) carries out an act of veterinary medicine under personal supervision if —
before the supervised person carries out the act, a veterinarian instructs the supervised person in relation to the act; and
the veterinarian directs the supervised person to carry out the act; and
while the supervised person carries out the act, the veterinarian —
is present; and
oversees and evaluates the carrying out of the act; and
if required, provides further instruction, guidance or assistance to the supervised person in relation to the act;
and
the supervised person carries out the act in accordance with the veterinarian’s instructions and guidance.
[Regulation 3A inserted: SL 2025/92 r. 5.]
A person (a supervised person) carries out an act of veterinary medicine under direct supervision if —
before the supervised person carries out the act, a veterinarian instructs the supervised person in relation to the act; and
the veterinarian directs the supervised person to carry out the act; and
while the supervised person carries out the act, the veterinarian —
remains on the premises where the act is carried out; and
provides appropriate oversight and evaluation of the carrying out of the act; and
if required, provides further instruction, guidance or assistance to the supervised person in relation to the act;
and
the supervised person carries out the act in accordance with the veterinarian’s instructions and guidance.
A requirement to carry out an act of veterinary medicine under direct supervision is satisfied if the act is carried out under personal supervision.
[Regulation 3B inserted: SL 2025/92 r. 5.]
A person (a supervised person) carries out an act of veterinary medicine under general supervision if —
before the supervised person carries out the act, a veterinarian instructs the supervised person in relation to the act; and
the veterinarian directs the supervised person to carry out the act; and
while the supervised person carries out the act, the veterinarian —
is present in the State and is available to be consulted in relation to the carrying out of the act; and
if consulted, provides any further instruction or guidance to the supervised person that is required in relation to the act;
and
the supervised person carries out the act in accordance with the veterinarian’s instructions and guidance.
A requirement to carry out an act of veterinary medicine under general supervision is satisfied if the act is carried out under —
personal supervision; or
direct supervision.
[Regulation 3C inserted: SL 2025/92 r. 5.]
Subject to subregulation (2), for the purposes of paragraph (a)(v) of the definition of veterinary medicine in section 3 of the Act, each of the acts specified in Schedules 1, 4 and 6 is an act of veterinary medicine.
For the purposes of paragraph (b) of the definition of veterinary medicine in section 3 of the Act, each of the acts specified in Schedule 2 is not an act of veterinary medicine.
[Regulation 4 amended: SL 2025/92 r. 6.]
For the purposes of the definition of specialty in section 3 of the Act, each branch of veterinary medicine specified in Schedule 3 is accredited as a specialty.
For the purposes of section 19(a) of the Act, the prescribed period is the period beginning on the day on which the registration is granted or renewed and ending on 30 June immediately following that day.
A veterinarian must not prescribe, supply or administer a scheduled drug for or to an animal except as permitted under this Division.
A veterinarian may prescribe, supply or administer a scheduled drug for or to an animal if the veterinarian physically examined the animal not more than 7 days before the day on which the veterinarian prescribes, supplies or administers the drug.
A veterinarian may prescribe, supply or administer a scheduled drug for or to an animal that is part of a group of animals kept at the same premises if —
the veterinarian inspected the premises and assessed the general health of the group of animals kept there not more than 12 months before the day on which the veterinarian prescribes, supplies or administers the drug; or
the veterinarian —
physically examined 1 or more other animals in the group not more than 7 days before the day on which the veterinarian prescribes, supplies or administers the drug; and
has reasonable grounds to believe that an examination of the animal is not practicable; and
has reasonable grounds to believe that an examination of the animal is not necessary in order to establish that it is appropriate to prescribe, supply or administer the drug;
or
the veterinarian —
has reasonable knowledge of the premises and conditions under which the group of animals are currently kept; and
discussed the health of the group of animals with the person in charge of the group not more than 7 days before the day on which the veterinarian prescribes, supplies or administers the drug; and
has reasonable grounds to believe that an examination of the animal is not practicable; and
has reasonable grounds to believe that an examination of the animal is not necessary in order to establish that it is appropriate to prescribe, supply or administer the drug.
A veterinarian may prescribe, supply or administer a scheduled drug for or to an animal if —
the veterinarian, another veterinarian working in the same veterinary practice business or a veterinary specialist prescribed, supplied or administered the drug for or to the animal under subregulation (2) or (3) not more than 12 months before the day on which the veterinarian prescribes, supplies or administers the drug; and
the veterinarian discussed the health of the animal with the person in charge of the animal not more than 7 days before the day on which the veterinarian prescribes, supplies or administers the drug; and
the veterinarian has reasonable grounds to believe that an examination of the animal is not necessary in order to establish that it is appropriate to prescribe, supply or administer the drug.
A veterinarian may prescribe, supply or administer a scheduled drug for or to an animal if —
another veterinarian working in the same veterinary practice business or a veterinary specialist (the first veterinarian) prescribed, supplied or administered the drug for or to the animal under subregulation (2) or (3) not more than 12 months before the day on which the veterinarian prescribes, supplies or administers the drug; and
when prescribing, supplying or administering the drug, the first veterinarian made a clinical record to the effect that further treatment of the animal with the drug would or might be indicated.
[Regulation 6A inserted: SL 2025/92 r. 8.]
A veterinarian must not prescribe or supply a scheduled drug for an animal unless the veterinarian is satisfied that the person in charge of the animal is competent, and has the equipment and facilities necessary, to handle, store, transport and administer the drug safely and effectively.
A veterinarian prescribing, supplying or administering a scheduled drug for or to an animal under this Division must not prescribe, supply or administer more of the drug than is reasonably required to treat the animal.
[Regulation 6B inserted: SL 2025/92 r. 8.]
A veterinary nurse is authorised to carry out an act of veterinary medicine specified in column 2 of Schedule 4 if —
the veterinary nurse is of a class specified opposite the act in column 3 of Schedule 4; and
the act is carried out under the level of supervision specified opposite that class of veterinary nurse in column 4 of Schedule 4.
[Regulation 7 inserted: SL 2025/92 r. 8.]
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