More Information About NVAP - TEST

The NVAP gives accredited veterinarians (AVs) opportunities to assist USDA in carrying out programs designed to safeguard public and animal health.   

The most important benefits to the AV include:

• Enhanced professional knowledge with up-to-date information on animal health and foreign animal diseases for all animals, food security, and regulatory issues;
• Continued acceptance of official work performed by AVs in international markets;
• Ability to choose level of accreditation program participation and tailor accredited activity to practice type;
• Notification of and ability to participate in State-Federal agricultural emergency response efforts;
• Ability to receive supplemental training without cost;
• Opportunity to be a local resource for USDA information in the media, and
• Increased marketability of remunerative services to clients.

Remember that...

…only AVs can prepare Certificates of Veterinary Inspection (CVIs) or "health papers," in most cases, so animals can move across State or international borders to participate, for example, in fairs and shows.

…only AVs may perform testing for government program diseases, such as brucellosis and tuberculosis. Becoming accredited allows you to do these tests and other disease control work for USDA.

…in some States, only AVs can give rabies vaccines.

…in the United States, AVs provide the front line in defending our country from emerging and foreign animal diseases.

Articles on the NVAP

• Why A Veterinarian Never Stops Learning (1.19 MB)
• The Importance of USDA-Accredited Vets (66.06 KB)

Tasks of Accredited Veterinarians Cited in 9 CFR 161.1(g) (79.19 KB)

• Part 160—Definition of Terms
• Part 161—Requirements and Standards for Accredited Veterinarians and Suspension of Revocation of Such Accreditation
• Part 162—Rules of Practice Governing Revocation or Suspension of Veterinarians' Accreditation

In 1921, USDA established the veterinary accreditation program so private practitioners could assist Federal veterinarians in controlling animal diseases.

In 1992, APHIS established a national program. The National Veterinary Accreditation Program (NVAP) is managed nationally but authorization is still on a State-by-State basis. Creating a national system has helped APHIS standardize the accreditation procedures and requirements, allowing for more uniform administration of the program.

Today’s National Veterinary Accreditation Program

The enhancements that took place over the past 5 years in the NVAP were in the works for many years. During the past 15 years this country has seen the incursion of several foreign animal diseases (FADs). These have included outbreaks of contagious equine metritis and equine piroplasmosis, epizootics of exotic Newcastle disease and West Nile virus, cases of screwworm and monkey pox, and pandemics of the influenza virus including H1N1. In the majority of these incursions, the FADs have successfully been controlled with the accredited veterinarian being the first line of defense against such catastrophic disease events.

Because of these FAD events several major animal health and veterinary medicine organizations called for enhancements of the NVAP. The 2001 Animal Health Safeguarding Review of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) cited a need to "redesign and upgrade the National Veterinary Accreditation Program" and suggested that "the accreditation program be the core for emergency preparedness and the response plan."

In 2002 the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) published an article entitled "New Directions for the National Veterinary Accreditation Program," which turned out to be an accurate predictor of many of the elements included in the current program.

Working with State and Federal agencies, major veterinary medical organizations such as the United States Animal Health Association and AVMA, and academic organizations such as the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, APHIS developed the elements currently in the NVAP using the Federal rulemaking process.

The final rule (52.59 KB) was published on December 9, 2009, and provides uniform, national education for veterinarians seeking initial accreditation Initial Accreditation Training (IAT). Since July 1, 2010, IAT has served as the mandatory precursor to the Orientation Program offered in each State for accreditation. The final rule also established two accreditation categories (Category I and Category II) in place of the single category, it added requirements for supplemental training and renewal of accreditation every 3 years and provides for accreditation specialization.