I am opposed to having non-liscenced assistants place IV catheters. If there are not enough liscenced technicians then we need to be doing more to recruit people to that field, not giving their jobs to other individuals. I feel by allowing non-liscenced assistants to place catheters, we are lowering the standard of medicine in the state of Virginia. How is this going to be regulated if the amendment is passed? What kind of training would be required for an assistant to place an IV catheter. There will not be a uniform protocol. While the veterinarian is ultimately responsible for  any patient in their care, it would appear to be a bad situation if something bad happened because of a misplaced catheter by a non-liscenced individual. I realize that not even all LVTs can comfortably place an IV catheter, but then the issue lies within our cirriculums and classes, not regulations. Practices are unlikely to charge less if a non-lisenced individual performs the catheter placement, so changing the amendment will not make services any more reasonably priced.