Veterinarians who travel to their patients are now closer to having the complete ability to transport and administer controlled substances to provide pain management, anesthesia or euthanasia.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners applauds the U.S. Senate for its Jan. 9 passage of the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act (S. 1171), which removes a loophole from the Controlled Substances Act that prohibits veterinarians from taking controlled substances beyond their registered premise.
"Most equine veterinarians provide care to their patients at farm or event locations, not in a clinic setting," explained Dr. Jeff Blea, 2014 AAEP president. "Our ability as doctors of veterinary medicine to relieve pain and suffering is essential to basic animal health and welfare. The passage of this bill in the Senate is extremely important to the animals we treat."
Since November 2009, the Drug Enforcement Administration has informed the veterinary profession that the Controlled Substances Act does not permit veterinarians to take controlled substances beyond their registered location, such as a clinic or a home. The DEA indicated that without a statutory change to the Act, some veterinarians may be practicing in violation of the law.
The Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act must now pass the U.S. House of Representatives in order to become law. H.R. 1528 has more than 140 co-sponsors in the House.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, KY was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, the AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its more than 9,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.