Frequent Infringements of Law 576 of 2000 Presented to the Tribunal of Professional Ethics Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics in Colombia during the 2014-2017 Period

Abstract

Veterinary medicine as a profession in Colombia dates back to 1884. In 1985, the Professional Council of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics of Colombia (Comvezcol) was formed, and subsequently, through Law 576 of 2000, the code of ethics for the professional practice of veterinary medicine and zootechnics was created, along with the National Tribunal of Professional Ethics (Trinadep), in order to process complaints, conduct investigations, and determine disciplinary actions against animal science professionals. In Colombia, no reports were found that would allow analyzing non-compliance with the code of ethics; consequently, this article seeks to describe the most frequent infringements reported in the period 2014-2017. To this end, a retrospective study of the sanctions imposed by Trinadep was carried out regarding non-compliance with Law 576 of 2000. According to the data obtained during the study period, 96 professionals were sanctioned; 53.13% of them were veterinarians, and 42.71% were zootechnical veterinarians. A higher rate of infraction was observed in men (75%). Articles 5 (22.3%), 13 (20.56%), 61 (19.51%), 27 (12.2%), and 20 (9.06%) were the most frequently infringed. These data allow concluding that it is necessary to raise awareness among students and professionals on some aspects of professional performance, such as the proper completion of clinical history and informed consents, the proper use of diagnostic aids, and the use of therapeutics in accordance with the individual