Many of our patients who are on hospice and pain-management care may be prescribed medications that fall into the classification of Controlled Substances. As such, there are many, many State and Federal laws we at the Suffolk Veterinary Group Animal Wellness & Laser Surgery Center must comply with in order to remain in good standing with law enforcement and professional requirements.
We Have No Control Over The Laws Governing The Prescription Of Controlled Substances.
Many of our families with hospice patients to care for have expressed frustration at some of the hassle and inconvenience involved with obtaining prescriptions for the medications necessary for giving their pets the best quality of life possible. Please understand, these laws are not our doing and we have no control over them, but we all have to comply with them. Our mission is always to provide the best quality of service that we can, and we will do our best to ensure that your pet receives their prescription medication in a manner that is both compassionate and meets all lawful requirements.
The Suffolk Veterinary Group Animal Wellness & Laser Surgery Center Prescription Policy In Regards To Controlled Substances is as follows:
1. Your pet must be a patient of Suffolk Veterinary Group, and have documented need of a Controlled Substance recorded in their medical records. Your account must be in good standing with our clinic.
2. Your pet must be presented for examination and follow-ups as required by the Veterinarian to continue any prescription for a Controlled Substance, and to document in their medical records any benefits or adverse reactions your pet may have had to the medication. Failure to present your pet for examination upon request of the Veterinarian will result in our revoking your pet’s Controlled Substance prescription.
3. The law only allows us to provide prescriptions for a Controlled Substance in a quantity that provides 30 days worth of medication. We are not permitted to place “refills” on these prescriptions. Therefore, please Request A Prescription Renewal Before You Run Out Of Your Pet’s Medication to ensure that they do not miss doses. We recommend calling our office at 631-696-2400 at least 1 to 2 weeks prior to your anticipation of running out of medication to request a prescription continuation. Please, do not wait until the last minute as we may not be able to provide same-day prescription request services, especially if your pet requires an examination before we can release a prescription.
4. We cannot call-in to a pharmacy prescriptions for Controlled Substances, you must physically come to our office to pick up the actual written script. We are not doing this to inconvenience you, this is the law.
5. The same goes for mailing prescriptions to your address or a pharmacy. We cannot place prescriptions for Controlled Substances in the postal mail. Sorry.
6. And, we will not approve any faxed prescription requests for Controlled Substances from any online pharmacy, or prescribe a Controlled Substance through our Vets First Choice Online Pharmacy.
Many of our families have asked, “Why don’t you just carry the medication in your clinic?” There are several reasons why we do not keep Controlled Substances for dispensing through our own clinic.
1. The permits required to keep these medications in our clinic are expensive. As such, we would have to pass this expense onto our families in the form of higher fees.
2. Security is important to us, and we do not want Controlled Substances in our hospital that may compromise the security of team members and the families who visit us. Much better for us not to have them on premises in the first place.
3. Many of these medications can be purchased much, much more cheaply at larger, brand named pharmacies than we could ever offer them for through our hospital.
4. We’d still have to follow all the laws outlined above, as well as many more, that would not make dispensing Controlled Substances through our own pharmacy any more cost effective for us or our families.
Therefore, while it may be seem more convenient that we carry Controlled Substances in our hospital pharmacy, it would not necessarily be more affordable to you for us to do so.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read our policy regarding prescriptions for Controlled Substances. If you have any questions, or require an examination for your pet, please call us at 631-696-2400.