DEA License Requirements & Procedures

DEA License Requirements

• DEA license should be registered at the practice's location.
• Separate registration is required for each principle place of practice where controlled drugs are stored or dispensed.
• If no controlled drugs are stored or dispensed at a second office, separate registration is not needed.
• To move to a new address, request a modification of registration.
• DEA licenses must be renewed every 3 years.
• DEA Form 222 is used for Schedule 2 order forms.
• DEA Form 224 is used for applying for DEA registration.

Drug Schedules

• Propoxyphene is Schedule 4.
• Diazepam is Schedule 4.
• Fentanyl is Schedule 2.

DEA Procedures Upon Retirement/Theft

• Notify the nearest DEA field office when retiring, sending the DEA certificate and unused order forms.
• Notify the DEA and complete Form 106 if controlled drugs are stolen.

Record Keeping

• Controlled drug logs must be kept for 2 years.

Employee Restrictions

• You have the right not to employ people convicted of felony offenses related to controlled substances, those denied/revoked/surrendered DEA registrations.

Building Requirements

• Wards: Sanitary, well-ventilated, adequately lit, and sized appropriately for animal welfare.
• Exam Rooms: Clinically clean, impervious table, sinks with disposable towels, and a separate waste receptacle.
• Pharmacy: Clean, blood storage or donor availability, accurate logs & patient records, locked cabinets for controlled drugs, DEA certificate on premises, separate expired drug storage, and proper disposal of needles/syringes.
• CPR Area: Clean, sterile instruments, drapes, caps, masks, impervious OR table, oxygen, and anesthesia equipment.
• Lab Area: Microscopes, centrifuges, and either in-house or readily available lab equipment for urinalysis, hematology, chemistry, and microbiology.
• Radiology: Radiology machines must meet minimum 100 mAs requirements.
• Pharmacy general: All drug labels to include drug name, strength, and expiration date.
• Pharmacy dispensing: Child-resistant containers are mandatory for all drugs (except in specific cases).
• Pharmacy Labels: Each dispensed container must contain the name of the drug, its strength/quantity, expiration date, instructions, pet's species and name, owner's name/address/phone, and prescribing veterinarian's name/address/DEA number.
• Controlled Drug Labeling: Controlled drugs must be dated and signed on the date issued. Includes, full patient name/address, full drug description/form/quantity, directions, name/address/DEA # of the practitioner. Must be manually signed, a secretary or nurse can create the script for the practitioner's signature.

Expired Drugs

• Expired drugs must be quarantined.

Drug Samples

• Drug samples may not be sold.

DMSO

• DMSO is not approved for human use.
• DMSO labels must include: "May be unsafe. Not approved for human use." in bold, 12pt font.

Legend Drugs

• Legend drugs are prescription drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
• Veterinary legend drugs are solely for veterinary use.
• Pedigree papers are required for legend drugs; failure to maintain them is a 3rd degree felony.
• Prescribing legend or controlled drugs in excessive quantities carries a $2000 fine and a one-year probation.

Drug Logs and Inventories

• Schedule II drugs need separate logs from other schedules.
• Schedule III, IV, and V logs must be separate from Schedule II logs and easily searchable from regular records.
• Controlled drug logs should be kept for two years.
• Controlled drugs (including samples) must be inventoried at least every two years.

Adulterated Drugs

• Adulterated drugs include those containing decomposing substances, substandard manufacturing practices, poisonous/deleterious containers, unsafe color additives, expired, strength/purity mismatches, or those returned to a wholesaler.

Otitis Externa Medication

• Prepared ear medications must be labeled with common names and quantities of active ingredients, plus detailed information normally required for labels.

Digoxin

• Pharmacists can prescribe a 72-hour supply of Digoxin under certain circumstances, such as on a Sunday, when no veterinarian is able to.

Ether

• No permit required for less than 2.5 gallons of ether.

Brucella Vaccination

• All female dairy calves destined for breeding must be vaccinated in Florida.
• Calves must be permanently identified with the official USDA brand in the right ear before vaccination.
• If not tattooed or branded, calves must use an official vaccination ear tag with specific formatting.
• A duplicate vaccination report goes to the Florida Department of Agriculture.

Tuberculosis Testing

• Cattle, bison, dairy goats, and cervids in Florida are subject to TB testing under the guidance of the USDA APHIS VS.
• Veterinarians must report any TB findings to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
• On official notice, owners must present their animals for TB testing.

EIA Testing

• EIA tests are reported using VS Form 10-11.
• Only authorized USDA lab representatives can certify the EIA reports, which need to be fully signed/initialed.
• Carbon copies of EIA forms go to the submitting veterinarian, owner, USDA, Area Veterinarian-In-Charge, and the Department.
• Permission from the submitting veterinarian is needed for the owner to receive an original copy of the EIA report.
• Positive EIA results must be confirmed with Agar Gel Immuno-Diffusion (AGID) test.
• Results must be given immediately after completion, or by 9:00 am the following business day if outside normal business hours.
• Positive EIA samples need to include specific information, like the accession number, owner's info, animal details, and submitting vet's name.
• Sera from positive EIA samples should be frozen and maintained for 2 years.

Medical Records

• Group medical records can be used for 10 or more of the same animal species owned by one person. An individual record is required when an animal is treated individually.
• Veterinarian deaths require publishing a notice of record availability in the county's newspaper; records must be kept for 2 years.
• Retiring or relocating vets must keep records for 3 years.
• Premise permits are required 14 days prior to opening.

Premises Inspection

• Premises inspections are done on a rotating basis, with random, unannounced inspections of 1% of clinics each year.
• Biennial self-inspection forms must be completed and returned within 60 days, signed by the licensed vet.

Mobile Practices

• House calls do not require premises permits, and are separate from mobile practices.
• Mobile practices need a written agreement with a local hospital. Requirements include sterilisation, surgical instruments, suture material, IV equipment, long-term hospitalization, radiology, or surgery access if not available.

Limited Service Clinics

• Limited service practices (vaccination clinics, parasite control) are allowed, but limited to once every 2 weeks, with maximum of 4 hours per clinic if performed in a week.

Veterinarian Licenses

• Veterinarians must renew their licenses every 2 years.
• Inactive vet licenses need to satisfy CE requirements and file an application before expiration to restore status and associated fees.
• Delinquent vet licenses require CE, active/inactive status application before biennium end, associated fees, etc.

Student and Non-Licensed Veterinary Personnel

• Senior students can perform procedures under immediate supervision of a licensee if the preceptorship is required for graduation.
• Non-licensed people may work in specific cases as part of a team (interns, residents, faculty, US Govt veterinarians, vets working on their own animals, etc.

Temporary Licenses

• Temporary veterinarian licenses are good for 30 days.
• Temporary licenses allow working with the identified animal in the application or for emergency treatment of animals of multiple owners if applicable.
• A previously valid license in another state is required for a temporary license.

Penalties for Violations

• Practicing without a license is a 3rd-degree felony, with possible higher penalties applying in different situations, depending on the offense.
• False statements on application/license or misrepresenting license can result in 3rd-degree felony or possible revocation.

Euthanasia

• Licensed veterinarians, certified vet techs (full employees), or designated employees of animal shelters/facilities can perform euthanasia in accordance with specified procedures.
• Approved methods include injection using sodium pentobarbital (or with added lidocaine), with IV, IP, IC, and food administration as the order of preference.
• Non-approved methods, such as certain drugs or chambers, are strictly prohibited.

Slaughter Inspections

• Certain livestock (cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, and mules) are inspected before slaughter. Poultry are not.

Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI)

• Dogs and cats transported to Florida for sale must have tests, vaccines, and anthelmintics within 30 days of entry (and 14 days before).
• Dogs and cats for sale within the state must be tested, vaccinated, and treated for parasites before being sold (unless it's not in the animal's medical interest).

General

• Zoonotic and animal-threatening diseases are contained by the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Test your knowledge of the DEA license requirements, including registration, drug schedules, and procedures upon retirement or theft. This quiz covers essential information needed for proper compliance with DEA regulations regarding controlled substances.