Legislation has been passed allowing the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board to contract with North Carolina Physicians Health Program to provide non-punitive assistance to potentially impaired licensed veterinarians and registered vet technicians. Effective January 1, 2004, the services of NCPHP became available to these veterinary personnel, adding a new dimension to the assistance already available through the Wellness Committee of the NC Veterinary Medical Association. NCPHP also added to its Board of Directors a representative of the NC Veterinary Medical Board and the NC Veterinary Medical Association.

NCPHP offers an alternative to the disciplinary authority of the NC Veterinary Medical Board -- identification, intervention, assessment, and rehabilitation services, when warranted, for licensed veterinary personnel impaired by alcohol, controlled drugs, or other chemical substances.

The NCVMB and NCVMA are hopeful that knowledge of the availability of this program will lead to voluntary referrals by impaired veterinary personnel, as well as referrals by family, friends, or colleagues, prior to any involvement of the Board. Referrals from sources other than NCVMB can remain anonymous and confidential as long as the referred veterinary personnel remains compliant with NCPHP recommendations.

There are more than 4700 licensed and registered veterinary personnel in North Carolina. Other state physician health programs already working with their veterinarian populations include Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.