Glossary
Veterinary telemedicinetélémédecine vétérinaire
Veterinary telemedicine covers the acts a vet performs remotely using information technology: teleconsultation, tele-expertise, remote monitoring, remote assistance and triage.
France authorised it on a trial basis by decree 2020-526 of 5 May 2020, for 18 months, provided the animal had been physically examined within the previous year. That framework ended on 6 November 2021.
As of 7 November 2026, no permanent text has been published. The Ordre des vétérinaires has said it would not act against vets who kept to the trial framework, but that any complaint would be judged under the law in force. Simple remote advice is not telemedicine.
Sources
See also
- Ordre des vétérinaires The Ordre des vétérinaires is the statutory body every practising vet in France must join; it keeps the register of vets and enforces professional ethics and independence (article L242-1 of the French Rural Code).
- Veterinary prescription A French veterinary prescription is the document a vet issues, after a clinical examination or proper assessment of the animal, for a veterinary medicine or a human medicine given to animals (articles 4 and 105 of Regulation (EU) 2019/6).