Position on Mid-Level Veterinary Practitioner (MLP/VPA)

The AAEP is opposed to the creation of a mid-level veterinary practitioner/veterinary professional associate (MLP/VPA) role with responsibilities such as diagnosing veterinary conditions, determining prognoses, creating treatment plans, prescribing medications, or performing surgical procedures. These are fundamental clinical functions that require the education, training, and licensure of a veterinarian, whose qualifications are essential to ensuring the health of animals, judicious use of antimicrobials, and the protection of public health in keeping with the principles of the One Health Initiative.

The AAEP supports full utilization of veterinary technicians—who are specifically trained and licensed to perform technical and supportive duties—as critical members of the veterinary team. Proposals to insert an MLP/VPA position between veterinarians and veterinary technicians do not address an unmet need. Furthermore, an MLP/VPA blurs professional boundaries, disrupts existing team structures, and places additional legal and financial burdens on supervising veterinarians. Moreover, challenges currently exist in the oversight of this new and unspecified role within veterinary medicine by state licensing boards responsible for upholding the standards of veterinary care for patients and the protection of the public interest within the profession.

The AAEP supports enhancing the roles of existing licensed veterinary technicians, improving workforce retention, and implementing technology-driven efficiencies to strengthen and develop veterinary care delivery while maintaining high standards of patient safety and professional accountability. 

Revised by AAEP board of directors in 2025.