Internet prescribing standards encouraged by AVMA

Published on
information-circle This article is more than 3 years old

Concerned over illegal procurement of prescription drugs and violation of the veterinarian-client-patient relationship, the Executive Board adopted a position encouraging standards for prescribing and dispensing FDA-approved prescription drugs via the Internet.

The AVMA suggests the following standards: (1) A veterinarian-client-patient relationship should be established before drugs are prescribed. (2) Only FDA-approved drugs should be used. (3) The AVMA encourages the FDA to enforce existing laws and regulations pertaining to use of the Internet for prescribing and dispensing drugs. Drugs of foreign origin that lack FDA approval cannot be used legally.

In proposing this action, the AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents reviewed testimony from the American Medical Association to a House subcommittee addressing the issue of online pharmacies.