My veterinarian revealed the name of my pet and some other client-specific information on social media. Is this unethical or illegal?

Modified on Tue, 16 Jan at 3:57 PM

Veterinarians in New York State should not publicize the contents of patient records on social media.  Revealing of personally identifiable facts, data or information obtained in a professional capacity without the prior consent of the client, except as authorized or required by law, constitutes unprofessional conduct.  See Rules of the Board of Regents, Part 29, § 29.1(b)(8).  You can find the rules for unprofessional conduct on the NYS Education Department's (NYSED's) website at https://www.op.nysed.gov/enforcement/professional-misconduct-enforcement.

You can register a complaint about a veterinarian or practice with NYSED, which can investigate and impose penalties since it’s the licensing body for professionals in New York.  Their investigations can take some time, but they do get done.  See https://www.op.nysed.gov/enforcement/enforcement-actions for a list of previous enforcement actions, searchable by the veterinarians’ last name.

This page has basic information about investigation and prosecution of professional misconduct in NY State: https://www.op.nysed.gov/enforcement/professional-misconduct-enforcement. You can get phone and email contact information there, and access an online complaint form.  This is a link to the complaint form instructions: https://www.op.nysed.gov/enforcement/discipline-complaint-form

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