A recent letter to the editor by Dr. Uri Burstyn (Letter: AVMA, please lead defense of veterinarian's role, published Aug. 22) raises concerns that initiatives to establish a midlevel practitioner (MLP) would compromise the quality of care provided to veterinary patients.

The American Veterinary Medical Association agrees that such initiatives are dangerous and ill-advised. We also agree that awareness and education on this topic are crucial, and we have been hard at work on multiple fronts to highlight the dangers of the proposed MLP.

On behalf of 105,000-plus veterinarians and their patients, the AVMA has been working closely with states' veterinary medical associations to safeguard the health and safety of animals and the public by expressing our grave concerns about the MLP. The AVMA has been collaborating with shelter veterinarians, lawmakers, consultants, deans of veterinary medical colleges, veterinary medical students, veterinary specialty organizations, veterinary hospital practice owners, rural veterinarians, and, of course, pet owners, to protect animals from nonveterinarians with inadequate education practicing veterinary medicine and performing surgeries on animals. Our veterinary patients deserve high-quality care, and an MLP would lower that standard.

In January 2024, the AVMA House of Delegates passed a resolution calling for the AVMA to vigorously defend the practice of veterinary medicine — which includes the ability to diagnose, prognose, develop treatment plans, prescribe and perform surgery — against scope-of-practice expansions by nonveterinarians that would threaten patient health and safety, as well as the safety of animal products and public health.

The AVMA has been engaging with media outlets to share our perspectives and is utilizing all our communications channels, including our social media platforms, to empower our members and raise the public's awareness of the dangers of such MLP proposals. The AVMA has a webpage dedicated to addressing workforce issues, including the proposed MLP, which serves as a hub for AVMA updates and resources on these critical issues.

Specifically in Colorado, where an initiative to create a MLP, or "veterinary professional associate" (VPA), will be on the November ballot, the AVMA has partnered with the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association to support an issues campaign called Keep Our Pets Safe. The AVMA's leaders have met with the leadership of Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences to express our concerns about their Master of Veterinary Clinical Care program currently under development. The ballot measure would enable graduates with the master's degree, which would consist of mostly online courses with minimal hands-on training, to perform veterinary medicine on animals, including diagnosing, prognosing, creating treatment plans and performing surgery.

Veterinarians, pet owners and many organizations oppose the establishment of a new MLP in veterinary medicine. The AVMA is joined by the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, the American Association of Equine Practitioners, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the American Veterinary Dental College, the Independent Veterinary Practitioners Association and Veterinary Management Groups in staunch opposition.

In addition, a survey conducted by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards showed that its respondents, who included veterinarians and veterinary technicians, did not support a midlevel position. Another survey, conducted by the Veterinary Management Groups, a professional organization for veterinary practice owners, reported that its members were overwhelmingly opposed to the idea of a veterinary MLP.

We invite our colleagues to join the AVMA in sounding the alarm on the dangers of MLP proposals. Talk to your colleagues, your clients and your local lawmakers, and urge them to protect animals and public health by opposing the proposed midlevel practitioner role.

Janet D. Donlin, DVM, CAE, is chief executive officer of the American Veterinary Medical Association.