My dog is almost 12 years old and he is terrified of the vet's office. I feel bad every time i have to make him go in, which i try to limit to once per year or less.  He is in the twilight of his life and I like to be able to provide him with pain medication because as a larger breed his hips and joints bother him now.  My vet office charges a significant cost just for an office visit--so before the vet sees my dog, runs any tests, asks any questions or prescribes any medication I'm already out of pocket $$.  If vets are going to be limited to prescribing a certian amount of pain medications AND they are going to require owners to bring their pets in every six months, there are goign to be owners who simply allow their pets to be in pain due to the additional financial strain of taking off work and paying for an office visit twice per year.  If you are an addict and want pain medication, what difference would bringing your pet in every 6 months make?  If you want pain medication for yourself you would be more willing to jump through hoops and pay more money.