S.L. 437.106 Art. 2Interpretation.

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:

"the Act" means the Veterinary Services Act; "animal" means companion animals or commercial animals or exotic animals; "applicant" means a professional person who applies for a licence to run a veterinary establishment under the terms of regulation 4;

"area" means a non-enclosed space forming part of a room; "Department" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in the Act; "the Director" means the Director responsible for the veterinary services and includes any officer of the department duly authorised by the Director to act on his behalf;

"hazardous waste materials" means blades, injection needles, and other sharp objects, and expired medicinal products;

"licensee" means a professional person who is licensed in terms of article 42 of the Act to run a veterinary establishment. In the case of a veterinary laboratory, the licensee may be a professional person other than a veterinary surgeon. The specific professional qualifications for the licences of veterinary laboratories shall be laid down by the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council, in accordance with the procedures in article 42 of the same Act; "POM" means prescription only medicine; "the practice of veterinary medicine" means veterinary investigation (including consultancy), diagnosis or treatment (including prophylactic measures to control or prevent disease), performed on animals by veterinary surgeons in the course of their professional duties, which ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to their care. The professional duties of a veterinary surgeon include private or academic clinical practice, duties in

*see regulation 1(3) of these Regulations, as originally promulgated. animal welfare organisations, government service and commerce;

"premises" means a physical structure consisting of one or more rooms;

"professional and ethical standards" include the standard of the general conduct of the members of the veterinary profession, as well as the behaviour of any such member towards his client or the patient under his care or being attended by him, during or consequential to his profession;

"room" means a space enclosed by fixed walls or fixed partitions, wherein there is correct light and air proportions, as well as possessing a closable door; "veterinary clinic" means a single building or premises with access to animals, wherein a basic clinical and surgical service or a specialised service is offered. Basic diagnostic procedures on animal samples may be allowed. In this type of veterinary practice, the clinic may have an autonomous organisation and identity, in which one or more veterinary surgeons exercise their profession and the practice, is carried out in the name of all the veterinarians considered as one unit. Otherwise, each veterinary surgeon may retain fiscal and professional individuality but share the premises, equipment or staff. The clinic will not provide for overnight stays of animals; "veterinary consultancy practice" means the premises, with access to animals, and wherein only clinical examination and treatments are carried out. If minor surgery is carried out, this shall not include the opening of body cavities. In this type of veterinary practice, a veterinary surgeon exercises his profession in an individual and personal form. More than one veterinary surgeon may form part of this consultancy practice by sharing the premises, equipment and, or staff, but retaining their fiscal and professional individuality; "veterinary establishment" means the premises where a veterinary surgeon carries out his profession and may be called a veterinary consultancy practice, a veterinary clinic or a veterinary hospital. The criteria and detailed description of the requirements, including equipment, rooms and staff training for veterinary laboratories, shall be laid down by the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council, in accordance with the procedures of article 42 of the Act; "veterinary hospital" means a veterinary establishment having an autonomous and more complex organisation and identity, in which several veterinary surgeons, generic or specialised, exercise their profession, and wherein animals are kept for more than one day, and a twenty-four hour emergency service is obligatory. A basic clinical and surgical service must be offered, as well as a specialised service;

"veterinary laboratory" means a veterinary establishment where instrumental diagnosis of a chemical, physical, immunological, virological, microbiological, cytological and histological nature are carried out on biological animal matter from a variety of animal species (commercial, companion animals or exotic), on request of a third party referred by a veterinary surgeon. The specific professional qualifications for the licensees of veterinary laboratories as well as the criteria and detailed description of the requirements, including equipment, rooms, staff training shall be laid down by the Veterinary Surgeons’ Council and in accordance with the procedures under article 42 of the Act; "veterinary surgeon" means a person licensed by the President of Malta to practice as a veterinary surgeon in Malta and who is registered in the Veterinary Surgeons’ Register.