An official website of the State of Maryland.

Maryland.gov Translate

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Maryland Department of Agriculture

Two Regulations Getting Vets in Trouble!

Veterinary News |

There are two Code of Maryland regulations that veterinarians are being sanctioned for violating more and more. We urge you to be aware of them.

First: Hospital licenses are not transferable.

A hospital license is issued to the owner of a hospital and is only good for the specific owner who obtained it and for the actual physical building for which the license was issued. If there is any change in the hospital's ownership or location, you need a new license.

  • If you sell your practice, or part of your practice, you need a new license, even if you are remaining as the responsible veterinarian and there are no other personnel changes.
  • If you are opening a brand new hospital, even if it is on the same property, with the same address, you need a new license.
  • If your hospital location changes, but the hospital owner and the hospital’s name stays the same, you need a new license.
  • If you are moving into a new facility, you need a new license, even if your new facility has always been used as a veterinary hospital.

Each time a new license is requested, whether for a change in ownership or change of location, an inspection is required.

If the facility is brand new or if it has not been inspected in the last 12 months, it must be inspected before it opens - or opens under new ownership. If the facility has been inspected in the last 12 months, it must be inspected within 60 days after it receives a new license. When/if you apply for a new license, be aware that Board inspectors schedule their inspections several weeks out. Apply in plenty of time to get the inspection done before you plan to open.

If you do not get a new license for these changes, you will be operating without a valid license and the owners and/or responsible veterinarian will be subject to sanctions. The longer you operate unlicensed, the higher the fine. For more information. If you have questions, please call the Board office at 410-841-5862.

Second: Keep your Expired Medications Separate from Unexpired Meds

During routine hospital inspections, Board inspectors are finding more and more instances of expired medications being kept among the working stock of drugs. Code of Maryland Regulation 15.14.01.12-3 states:

A. A Veterinarian may not administer expired medications to an animal. 
B. A veterinarian may not remove expiration dates from medications. 
C. Until a veterinarian has disposed of an expired medication, the veterinarian shall package and keep it separate and apart from unexpired medications.

The Board frequently assesses civil penalties against the responsible veterinarian for these violations.  It is an easy infraction to avoid. Assign a technician to check your working stock of drugs every month and pull anything that is expired. Problem solved.

The Veterinary Practice Act and related regulations are on our website ​for easy reference. Please review them often!