Georgia telehealth law complicates pet poison hotline access

Georgia’s new veterinary telehealth law has pulled animal poison control hotlines into an unexpected regulatory fight. In a September 2025 Veterinary Breakroom episode, Clinician’s Brief highlighted how Senate Bill 105, which took effect July 1, 2025, left Georgia pet parents without direct access to national animal poison hotlines such as Pet Poison Helpline and ASPCA Poison Control, at least as those services interpreted the law at the time. Pet Poison Helpline says it can no longer provide direct risk assessments or treatment guidance to Georgia pet parents, though it can still work through a veterinarian, and ASPCA Poison Control said it likewise could not directly assist Georgia callers under its reading of the statute. (cliniciansbrief.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary teams, that change can turn poison exposures into a more complicated workflow. Instead of a pet parent getting immediate hotline guidance and then deciding whether an ER visit is needed, practices may become the required intermediary, fielding urgent calls, contacting toxicology services themselves, and relaying recommendations under time pressure. That has implications for triage efficiency, staff workload, after-hours access, and client communication, especially in areas already dealing with limited veterinary capacity. Georgia regulators and the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association have said the law was not intended to block poison control access, but confusion over how teleadvice and teletriage should be interpreted has persisted. (aaha.org)

What to watch: Watch for formal guidance or rulemaking from the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine, which referred SB 105 questions to the Attorney General’s Office as stakeholders seek a clearer path for poison-control access. (sos.ga.gov)