17 in Congress want changes in drug rules
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Seventeen members of Congress have expressed concern that some federal restrictions on controlled substances could hurt veterinary care.
In a letter sent Oct. 12, those members of the U.S. House of Representatives asked to meet with Drug Enforcement Administration officials about the agency’s determination that veterinarians cannot legally transport controlled substances for use outside of locations they have registered with the DEA.
The DEA’s Sacramento office asked this past spring that some veterinarians who registered their home addresses as their places of business give the DEA the addresses of their actual places of business, according to the California VMA. DEA officials have said that, under the Controlled Substances Act passed by Congress in 1970, veterinarians who are registered only at their home addresses can store, distribute, or dispense controlled substances at their homes but need separate registrations for other locations such as clients’ homes and farms.
The congressional members’ letter states that veterinarians need to be able to provide mobile or ambulatory services, particularly when making house calls or treating livestock. Veterinarians secure controlled substances when they remove them from registered locations, and they keep required records, the letter states.
“While we support the overall intentions of DEA’s Diversion Control Program, we do not believe the intention of the program is to prohibit veterinarians from transporting drugs that are essential to provide complete veterinary care,” the letter states. “This remains an issue of great concern to many of our constituents and, as such, we request your agency provide technical drafting assistance on how best to resolve this difficult situation to the satisfaction of both sides.”
The letter was signed by Reps. Marsha Blackburn, Bob Goodlatte, Brett Guthrie, Vicky Hartzler, Tim Huelskamp, Randy Hultgren, Steve King, Larry Kissell, Frank Lucas, Jim McGovern, Collin Peterson, Dave Reichert, Reid Ribble, (Dr.) Kurt Schrader, David Scott, Terri Sewell, and Glenn Thompson.
In a letter sent Oct. 12, those members of the U.S. House of Representatives asked to meet with Drug Enforcement Administration officials about the agency’s determination that veterinarians cannot legally transport controlled substances for use outside of locations they have registered with the DEA.
The DEA’s Sacramento office asked this past spring that some veterinarians who registered their home addresses as their places of business give the DEA the addresses of their actual places of business, according to the California VMA. DEA officials have said that, under the Controlled Substances Act passed by Congress in 1970, veterinarians who are registered only at their home addresses can store, distribute, or dispense controlled substances at their homes but need separate registrations for other locations such as clients’ homes and farms.
The congressional members’ letter states that veterinarians need to be able to provide mobile or ambulatory services, particularly when making house calls or treating livestock. Veterinarians secure controlled substances when they remove them from registered locations, and they keep required records, the letter states.
“While we support the overall intentions of DEA’s Diversion Control Program, we do not believe the intention of the program is to prohibit veterinarians from transporting drugs that are essential to provide complete veterinary care,” the letter states. “This remains an issue of great concern to many of our constituents and, as such, we request your agency provide technical drafting assistance on how best to resolve this difficult situation to the satisfaction of both sides.”
The letter was signed by Reps. Marsha Blackburn, Bob Goodlatte, Brett Guthrie, Vicky Hartzler, Tim Huelskamp, Randy Hultgren, Steve King, Larry Kissell, Frank Lucas, Jim McGovern, Collin Peterson, Dave Reichert, Reid Ribble, (Dr.) Kurt Schrader, David Scott, Terri Sewell, and Glenn Thompson.