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17 CAR § 1-103. Continuing education requirements for veterinary medical license and certificate renewal
17 CAR § 1-103. Continuing education requirements for veterinary medical license and certificate renewal.
(a) The continuing education requirements for the renewal of an active license or certificate are as follows.
(b)(1) Veterinarians must earn twenty (20) continuing education hours each year to be eligible for license renewal.
(2) Continuing education topic requirements are as follows:
(A) Ten (10) hours must be education pertaining to veterinary medicine and surgery;
(B) A maximum of eight (8) hours can be education pertaining to nonscientific topics;
(C) A maximum of two (2) hours can be education through visitation with a colleague, not associated with the veterinarian’s practice, at the facility of the colleague; and
(D) A maximum of two (2) hours can be education through attending exhibit halls at state or national meetings and conferences.
(3) Continuing education hours can be earned as follows:
(A) At least ten (10) hours must be taken in-person or through live, interactive webinars; and
(B) A maximum of ten (10) hours will be allowed for online education that is prerecorded or noninteractive.
(c)(1) Veterinary technicians and veterinary technologists must earn twelve (12) continuing education hours each year to be eligible for certificate renewal.
(2) Continuing education topic requirements are as follows:
(A) Eight (8) hours must be education pertaining to veterinary medicine and surgery; and
(B) A maximum of four (4) hours can be education pertaining to nonscientific topics.
(3) Continuing education hours can be earned as follows:
(A) At least six (6) hours must be taken in-person or through live, interactive webinars; and
(B) A maximum of six (6) hours will be allowed for online education that is prerecorded or noninteractive.
(d)(1) A veterinary technician specialist must complete an additional eight (8) hours of advanced continuing education in their area of specialty each year before renewal.
(2) This is in addition to the twelve (12) hours of continuing education required for renewal of their veterinary technician or technologist certification.
(e) Continuing education hours are waived for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary technologists who received a license or certificate from the Arkansas Board of Animal Health during the renewal period in which they graduated.
(f) The following are approved by the board for continuing education:
(1) An educational program sponsored by an accredited or approved college of veterinary medicine;
(2) An educational program sponsored by the American Animal Hospital Association;
(3) An educational program sponsored by:
(A) The American Veterinary Medical Association; or
(B) One (1) of its recognized veterinary specialties or veterinary specialty organizations;
(4) An educational program sponsored by a local, state, regional, or national veterinary association;
(5) An educational program sponsored by:
(A) The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America; or
(B) One (1) of its veterinary technician specialty academies or societies;
(6) An educational program approved by the Registry of Approved Continuing Education, which is the American Association of Veterinary State Boards’ national clearinghouse for approval of continuing education; or
(7) An educational program sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture.
(g)(1) Each veterinarian, veterinary technician, veterinary technologist, and veterinary technician specialist:
(A) Must keep a record of continuing education hours earned; and
(B) Will be required to certify those hours on a form made available by the board.
(2) The form will be sent to each veterinarian, veterinary technician, veterinary technologist, and veterinary technician specialist at the time of annual renewal.
(3) All records of continuing education hours must be kept by the license or certificate holder for three (3) years.
(4) The board, at its discretion, may request an audit of an individual’s continuing education records.
(h) Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary technologists, or veterinary technician specialists unable to earn continuing education hours because of sickness or other justifiable reason may, at the discretion of the board:
(1) Be exempt from all or part of the continuing education requirements; or
(2) Be granted an extension of time to obtain their continuing education hours.
(i) Requests for approval of educational programs must be submitted to the Department of Agriculture within the current license or certificate renewal period.
(j) To activate an inactive license or certificate, continuing education hours must be obtained during that renewal period.