> Articles by: ChristpinaOn July 1, 2025, SB 6 (Ashby),passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee. This bill will add xylazine to the California Controlled Substance List as a Schedule III controlled substance, but will keep xylazine solely in the hands of veterinarians for use in practice.
Owning a veterinary practice is not just about making a living—it’s about making a difference in the lives of your patients and their owners. But running a successful practice also involves managing the risks that come with caring for animals and interacting with clients. That’s where business insurance comes in.
On April 15–17, the California Veterinary Medical Board (CVMB) and its Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee (MDC) held their regular quarterly meetings at the CVMB’s headquarters in Sacramento. The CVMA’s Executive Director Dan Baxter and Director of Regulatory Affairs Dr. Grant Miller attended these meetings and commented on various agenda items affecting the veterinary profession.
I always wanted to be an ecologist—to study rainforests, birds, evolution, and animal behavior; write and teach about the amazing interconnections in nature; discover new species; combat deforestation; and maybe even save a species or two from extinction. I even completed a master’s research thesis on the ecology and evolution of birds in Costa Rica, but a few wonderful mentors before, during, and after graduate school ultimately led me to veterinary medicine and my position as a senior wildlife veterinarian at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
Understanding the basics of investing is an essential first step toward building a strong financial foundation, but many people don’t know where to get started. Here are five concepts that can be helpful for new investors to grasp:
Due to the progressively and overly stringent compounding regulations by the California Board of Pharmacy (BOP), there are only a few veterinary compounding pharmacies remaining in the state to provide medications for millions of animals. Additionally, the remaining compounding pharmacies have become increasingly disincentivized to produce certain important veterinary medications because of prohibitive BOP regulations.
Due to the progressively and overly stringent compounding regulations by the California Board of Pharmacy (BOP), there are only a few veterinary compounding pharmacies remaining in the state to provide medications for millions of animals. Additionally, the remaining compounding pharmacies have become increasingly disincentivized to produce certain important veterinary medications because of prohibitive BOP regulations.
Drug misbranding is a violation identified by the California Veterinary Medical Board (CVMB) during complaint investigations and routine practice inspections. Many veterinarians may unknowingly be noncompliant, as this topic is minimally covered in primary and continuing veterinary education. But in fact, several federal and state laws address drug misbranding and are directly applicable to veterinary practice. This article outlines key regulations, common violations, and tips for compliance.
An employment contract is a written document that the employer and employee sign to define the terms of the employment relationship. It is important to understand the benefits and risks regarding the use of employment contracts, particularly given unique considerations in the State of California.
Going into veterinary school, I was excited to work with animals and their stewards—as are most of us who enter the veterinary profession. The thought of being a modern-day James Herriot who worked with “all creatures, great and small” was a driving force for my educational path and early career. My short, two-week rotation with the late Dr. Murray Fowler, head of the zoological medicine service at UC Davis opened my eyes to many zoological species. Everything was exciting and anything seemed possible!
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