VCPR stands for ...
The California Practice Act, which helps guide veterinarians in running their practices & sets professional expectations, defines the VCPR as a professional relationship between client & veterinarian. A VCPR is established when...
The client has authorized the veterinarian to assume responsibility for making medical judgments regarding the health of the animal, including the need for medical treatment
The veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of the animal(s) to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal(s). This means that the veterinarian is personally acquainted with the care of the animal(s) by virtue of an examination of the animal or by medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animals are kept
The veterinarian has assumed responsibility for making medical judgments regarding the health of the animal and has communicated with the client a course of treatment appropriate to the circumstance
Essentially, the client has entrusted the veterinarian with making appropriate treatment decisions or recommendations because the veterinarian has knowledge of the animal's environment & there is a communicative relationship between client & veterinarian.
Every farm should have a veterinarian of record (VOR), who is responsible for educating producers or managers on animal health & disease, proper husbandry & nutrition, appropriate medication use, & more. In addition, they can help formulate treatment protocols for common diseases seen on the farm, prescribe medications, & troubleshoot issues relating to biosecurity, animal handling, worker training, & more.
Veterinarians are an essential part of the management team! Establishing a relationship with a veterinarian means you are adding an animal health expert to your team who can help you with the day-to-day, as well as emergency care.
But what if you don't have one? School farms are a special kind of client & they can present challenges that many veterinarians are not equipped or simply do not want to deal with. In addition, some areas of the state are severely underserved, perhaps having only a single small animal clinic within a couple hours' drive. The most common complaint I see from farm managers is, "I called four veterinarians for an emergency & not one wanted to come out!" Most veterinarians do not see non-clients on an emergency basis - we don't know you, we don't know your operation, & we have other established clients who take priority. As the saying goes, "Part of helping pay for someone to be available at night means supporting our business during the daytime."
It's worth calling around & seeing if anyone is willing to work with you BEFORE you really need someone for an emergency. That veterinarian may or may not have experience with the species you have on farm, but someone who is willing to learn is an excellent starting point. If you are in an area that has few large animal exclusive veterinarians, the best place to start would be a mixed animal clinic, as they are likely already seeing some of your species in small volume. For those who have large animal clinics in the area, cattle are generally an easy sell, but small ruminants & swine are outside the comfort zone of most practitioners. If you find someone willing to help, but they don't really know where to start, send them my way - I have some veterinarian-specific resources to help them out.
In order for a VCPR to be established, the veterinarian must visit your operation, talk to you about animal movement & management, & agree to provide you with veterinary services based on what they see. But it's not just one and done! The VCPR must be renewed every year with an annual visit to review those same things, plus review & update any protocols that have been put in place.
It is Best Practice to sign a new VCPR agreement each year, where each part recognizes their part in the professional relationship. These VCPRs should be maintained on farm with your other farm paperwork (perhaps in your Farm Protocol & SOP Binder!).
Go forth & find your vet!
