Amendments to clinical records—what you need to know

Veterinarians must make a clinic record for every act of veterinary medicine carried out. Clinical records must now include a unique animal identification, such as a microchip number, and the expectations around this are stricter than before: Veterinary practitioners must keep records for 7 years and show them on request. Failure to comply with accurate clinical records may attract a fine of $5000.

Here is the information that must be included in the clinical record:

• Record must be created at the time of treatment or as soon as practicable afterward.
• Must be written, legible and dated (include both the treatment date and the date the record is made).
• Name and title of the person who performed the act. If performed under supervision, also record the name and title of the supervising practitioner.
• Name and address of person responsible for the animal
• Species, breed, sex, age and weight of the animal
• Identifying information such as microchip number or other unique identifiers.
• Relevant clinical history and any other pertinent details.
• Details and results of examinations, procedures, imaging, laboratory or other diagnostic tests.
• For every drug or poison prescribed, supplied or administered, record:
  - Name of substance
  - Dosage and strength
  - Route of administration
  - Duration of treatment
  - Quantity supplied
  - Name and title of the person who prescribed, supplied or administered it.

If you’d like read more, you can look at the full amendments and the published regulations. The AVA will also soon be publishing an overview of key changes and provisions that are particularly relevant to WA veterinary practitioners.

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How Vedi keeps you compliant with new regulations

Clinics using Vedi today are already aligned with these amendments. Here's why:

• The microchip number is the pet's unique identifier: Vedi is a world-first data technology that links a pet's health data directly to their microchip. A simple scan of the microchip means that any subsequent procedures performed using Vedi (like vaccinations and external pathology tests) are always attributable and traceable to that patient, minimising errors and inaccuracies.
• Complete, accurate health records: Vedi uses secure blockchain technology, which means that data can’t be tampered with or accidentally overwritten. Wherever the pet goes, their verified health data goes with them, accessed with a simple scan of their microchip.
• Life-long patient data: All patient data recorded with Vedi is permanently stored securely in the cloud, retrievable at a moment's notice.
• Easy integration with your PIMS: Integration with practice management software cuts down on admin, reduces duplicate data entry and ensures no missing gaps of information.

Not only are clinical records always more secure, time-stamped and easily retrievable with Vedi, it's simply a smarter, safer way to manage veterinary care.

Implementing Vedi into your clinic is as simple as scanning the pet’s microchip. With that simple action, you can lock every subsequent procedure performed with Vedi (such as vaccinations and external pathology tests) to the microchip, creating accurate  digital health records.

Want to see how it can be applied in a practice setting? Read how Doubleview Vet Centre runs a smarter clinic with Vedi.

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How technology is redefining veterinary practice

If anything, the amendments to clinical records and the greater emphasis on unique identifiers show that the sector is increasingly prioritising data accuracy, traceability, and accountability in veterinary care.

With Vedi, your clinic is primed and future-proofed for sector advancements and regulation changes in data management. Vedi's digital workflows not only ensure better data management, but they also help clinics run more efficiently by improving accuracy, saving time, and lightening the load for everyone involved

We're building a future where veterinary medicine is defined by trust, collaboration, and cutting-edge technology. We have a rapidly growing ecosystem of valuable tools and integrations including instant microchip registrations, digital pathology submissions, automated patient check-ins, crematorium submissions, emergency hospital admissions and discharge communication, and more.

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