[Limited relevance of veterinary disciplinary regulations]

After several years of pressure on the part of the KNMvD to establish disciplinary regulations for veterinarians, these were at last incorporated in the Veterinary Practice Act of 1992. This article discusses the extent to which veterinary disciplinary regulations actually meet the expectations of legislators. On the basis of an investigation of the parliamentary passage of the Act, the flood of complaints before disciplinary judges, the nature and magnitude of jurisprudence of the veterinary disciplinary committee, and interviews with those involved, it would appear that results are disappointing. These disappointing results, in particular the one-sided emphasis on companion animals and the continuing misunderstanding about the prescription of veterinary medicines, lead to the conclusion that veterinary disciplinary regulations are currently of limited relevance. The authors consider that insufficient use is made of the potential of disciplinary measures to contribute to the monitoring of the quality of veterinary practice and give recommendations about this.