§ 21-31.1-2 - Definitions.
SECTION 21-31.1-2
§ 21-31.1-2 Definitions. – For the purpose of this chapter:
(1) "Client" means the owner or caretaker of animal(s) whoarranges for their veterinary care.
(2) "Director" means the director of the department of health.
(3) "Distributor" means and includes "manufacturers,""wholesalers," "veterinarians," "pharmacists," and "veterinary drug retailers."
(4) "Enforcement agency" means the department of healthhaving responsibility for enforcing this chapter.
(5) "Extra-label use" means the actual or intended use of ahuman or veterinary drug in a food-producing animal in a manner that is not inaccordance with the drug's labeling.
(6) "Manufacturer" means a person engaged in the production,preparation, propagation, compounding, or processing of a drug or othersubstance or the packaging or repackaging of the substance, or the labeling orre-labeling of the commercial container of that substance, but does not includethe activities of a veterinarian or pharmacist who, as an incident to theadministration or dispensing of the substance in the course of professionalpractice, prepares, compounds, packages, or labels the substance.
(7) "Patient" means any animal in which a prescriptionveterinary drug is used or intended to be used.
(8) "Person" means any individual, or a firm, partnership,company, corporation, trustee, association, agency, or any other public orprivate entity.
(9) "Pharmacist" means an individual with a currently validlicense issued by the state of Rhode Island to practice pharmacy.
(10) "Prescription" means an order from a veterinarian to apharmacist authorizing the dispensing of a prescription veterinary drug to aclient for use on or in a patient.
(11) "Prescription drug" means a veterinary drug which,because of toxicity or other potential for harmful effect, or the method of itsuse, is not safe for use except under the supervision of a veterinarian, and isrequired by federal law to be labeled with the statement: "Caution: Federal lawrestricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian"; andthose veterinary drugs required by state law to be dispensed only upon order orprescription of a licensed veterinarian.
(12) "Veterinarian" means an individual with a currentlyvalid license issued by the state of Rhode Island to practice veterinarymedicine and who is exempted from the permit provisions of § 21-31.1-4.
(13) "Veterinarian-client/patient relationship" means arelationship where all of the following conditions have been met:
(i) The veterinarian has assumed the responsibility formaking medical judgments regarding the health of the animal(s) and the need formedical treatment, and the client has agreed to follow the instructions of theveterinarian.
(ii) The veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of theanimal(s) to initiate at least a general or preliminary (e.g. tentative)diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal(s). This means that theveterinarian has recently seen and is personally acquainted with the keepingand care of the animal(s), and/or by medically appropriate and timely visits tothe premises where the animal(s) are kept.
(iii) The veterinarian is readily available for follow-up incase of adverse reactions or failure of the regimen of therapy.
(iv) The veterinarian maintains records that document patientvisits, diagnosis, treatment, and other relevant information.
(14) "Veterinary drug" means: (i) articles for animal userecognized in the official United States Pharmacopoeia/National Formulary ofthe United States; (ii) articles intended for use in the diagnosis, cure,mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in animals; (iii) articles(other than feed or medicated feed) intended to affect the structure or anyfunction of the body of animals; and (iv) articles intended for use of acomponent of any article in paragraph (i), (ii) or (iii) of this subdivision;but does not include devices or their components, parts or accessories.
(15) "Veterinary drug retailer" means and includes everyperson, authorized by law, other than a veterinarian or a pharmacist, whodelivers a non-prescription veterinary drug to a client or a client's agent.
(16) "Wholesaler" means a person who acts as a wholesalemerchant, jobber, or agent, who sells for resale, or negotiates fordistribution (other than to the consumer or patient) of any veterinary drug.