{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-698.14b","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 59-698.14b","heading":"Inability to practice due to mental illness or drug","body":"abuse - Required submission to alcohol or drug testing - Actions of\n\nBoard - Reporting of impaired performance.\n\nA. Impairment is defined as the inability of a person to\n\npractice veterinary medicine with reasonable skill and safety by\n\nreason of:\n\n1. Mental illness; or\n\n2. Habitual use or excessive use or abuse of drugs or chemicals\n\ndefined in law as controlled substances or habit-forming substances,\n\nto include, but not be limited to, alcohol or other substances that\n\nimpair the ability of the licensee or certificate holder to practice\n\nveterinary medicine.\n\nB. Upon probable cause, the State Board of Veterinary Medical\n\nExaminers may require a licensee or certificate holder or applicant\n\nfor license or certificate to submit to any test to determine the\n\nuse of alcohol or drugs which affects the ability of the licensee or\n\ncertificate holder to practice veterinary medicine. The Board, by\n\nrule, shall establish the nature and criteria for any such test.\n\nThe results of the test shall be admissible in any hearing before\n\nthe Board. Failure to submit to the required test by any licensee,\n\ncertificate holder or applicant when properly directed to do so by\n\nthe Board shall be grounds for disciplinary action against a\n\nlicensee or certificate holder and, for any applicant, shall be\n\ngrounds for denial of license or certificate.\n\nC. Upon findings by the Board, after evaluation and hearing,\n\nthat the licensee, certificate holder or applicant is impaired, the\n\nBoard may take one of the following actions or any other action\n\ndeemed appropriate to the circumstances by the Board:\n\n1. Direct the person to submit to care, counseling or treatment\n\nacceptable to the Board;\n\n2. Suspend, limit or restrict the license or certificate to\n\npractice for the duration of the impairment; or\n\n3. Revoke or refuse to renew the license or certificate or deny\n\nthe application.\n\nD. Any person who is prohibited from practicing pursuant to the\n\nprovisions of this section shall be afforded at reasonable intervals\n\nthe opportunity to present evidence or material not before seen by\n\nthe Board to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Board that such\n\nperson can resume or begin the practice of veterinary medicine with\n\nreasonable skill and safety; provided, that all fees have been paid\n\nand all requirements for licensure, certification, reinstatement or\n\nother form of authorization to practice have been satisfactorily\n\ncompleted.\n\nE. 1. All licensees, certificate holders or faculty of\n\nveterinary medical schools shall report to the Board information\n\nabout any and all colleagues that shows the colleagues are impaired.\n\n2. The Board may establish rules for the approval of medically\n\ndirected, nonprofit, voluntary treatment programs for impaired\n\npractitioners and to set standards for the treatment of\n\npractitioners.\n\n3. The Board may exempt from reporting those who are conducting\n\na Board-approved treatment program; provided that the impaired\n\nveterinarian who is participating in the program is doing so\n\nsatisfactorily. Should the impaired veterinarian leave the program\n\nwithout first achieving a release by the program, the administrator\n\nof the program is required to report same to the Board.\n\nParticipation in an approved treatment program does not protect an\n\nimpaired veterinarian from Board action resulting from a report from\n\nanother source of violation of the Oklahoma Veterinary Practice Act,\n\nwhether related to the impairment or not.\n\n4. Programs for the treatment of impaired professionals\n\napproved by this Board shall be reviewed annually or more frequently\n\nat the Board's discretion.","path":["OK Code","Title 59"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os59.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"1ff2c9c61587ddc260391430fc6ba3431134cca6b315aec6e1071d7f6475e1b4","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-698.14a","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-698.15"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}