Veterinarians, I believe tend to be very careful with the usage of opiods. Buprinex usage is minimal for cats post surgically - and our compounding law in VA (another topic) minimizes this more than I would desire. Tussigon dispensing for cough is easily managed for our patients and typically it the small dogs and that is not the opioid the abuser is seeking. Occassionally, Tylenol #3 is used. Haven't used Fentanyl patches in years. I believe that our biggest concern for so-called/opioids getting in the hands for human use/abuse is with Tramadol. We veterinarians have quite a dosage range in which to use the medication and do need to be extremely careful with how we prescribe it because if we give too much flexability, then we can make it easy for the human use/abuse. But if we are truly monitoring for what works dosage wise for each patient, then we are performing our due diligence. My hospital had a client several years ago ask for a refill of Tramadol 15-20 days early ... I declined it and he came by very upset and was not nice to the staff ... 6 months later he came back and apologized and felt bad that he could not tell us that sooner due to legal advice ... they found out their dog walker was swiping Tramadol....  I do agree that we need to be better educated, as well as our staff, to be able to recognize those that are trying to use their pet for their own means. 

As far as 18VAC150-20-174 ....

A2 is a joke!! I will always prescribe as i see fit for that patient's immediate and long term need. 

B is a joke!!

C is a joke!!  ---  Benefits -- help my patient  -- Hello ... Mc Fly -- Pharmacies don't do this and your MD doesnt talk about disposal

Come to think of it ... most of this entire piece is a joke.

Honestly, the opioid epidemic is not really much of what we dispense in veterinary medicine --- the problem drugs are the very potent opioids --- Oxycodones, etc

Is this the kind of regulation a precursor to the Board telling us we must choose the cheapest and not necessarily the most effective course of treatment?