The Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association (ISVMA) recently presented state Rep. Kelly Burke (D-36th) with its 2019 President’s Award for her perseverance in promoting the veterinary profession in the Illinois House of Representatives.

“Rep. Burke’s help with the exemption of veterinarians from the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program [PMP] was a tremendous help for our members,” said ISVMA Board of Directors President Dr. Olivia Rudolphi. “She advocated in the House for this exemption, Senate Bill 1665, which helped us focus on what we do: take care of pets, not track medical records of pet owners.”

The ISVMA sought exemption from the PMP, which went into effect in January 2018. The law required veterinarians to assess patient access to controlled substances, in this case whenever an initial narcotic prescription was written for a pet. Under the PMP, veterinarians were subject to official reporting to state authorities that a narcotic was issued for a pet owner’s cat, dog or other animal.

“It made little sense to have animal doctors review and report on human health records,” Rudolphi said. “We’re very concerned about finding solutions to the human opioid crisis and are in support of completing state-required continuing-education courses for safe opioid prescribing practices,” she said, “but, our focus is on what we do medically for pets, not their human caretakers.”

Burke said something had to be done regarding the PMP for Illinois veterinarians.

“Linking animal and human medical information and then reviewing these records before deciding how to prescribe treatment for the pet really has nothing to do with how they practice medicine for animals,” Burke said. “I was pleased to be the House sponsor and work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this important exemption passed after action by the Senate.”

The ISVMA President’s Award is presented annually to an individual or group that has significantly advanced the interests of the veterinary profession in Illinois.

The ISVMA represents more than 2,500 veterinarians, certified veterinary technicians and students in the state to promote and protect veterinary practices.