WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, the U.S. Senate delivered a victory for veterinarians and unanimously passed the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Angus King (I-Maine).
If passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, the bipartisan legislation will allow veterinarians to legally carry and dispense controlled substances.
Companion legislation, H.R. 1528, was introduced in the House by veterinarians, Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) and Ted Yoho (R.-Fla.).
The bill
The bill amends the Controlled Substances Act. The bill prohibits a veterinarian who is registered to manufacture or distributed controlled substances to have a separate registration to transport or dispense the substances at a site other than the veterinarian’s place of business.
If the legislation passes, it could allow a veterinarian to transport substances anywhere within the state which the veterinarian practices.
The practice of veterinary medicine requires veterinarians to treat patients in a variety of settings, including rural areas, “house calls” or mobile clinics, research and disease control activities, emergency response situations, and removal or transfer of dangerous wildlife.
