Professional Practice Standard
Published: December 2014
Revised: March 2017, January 2023
Introduction
Veterinarians are authorized to prescribe, dispense, and administer controlled drugs. With that authority comes the responsibility to mitigate the risk of inappropriate or illegal access to controlled drugs. This responsibility includes the overall management of any controlled drugs used in a veterinary practice, including disposal.
Definition
Controlled drug: For the purposes of this Professional Practice Standard, the term controlled drug means controlled substance.
Practice Expectations
A veterinarian meets the Professional Practice Standard: Management and Disposal of Controlled Drugs when they:
- Follows an established protocol for the acquisition of controlled drugs that records all orders, purchases and receipts and matches the quantity received with the quantity recorded in the purchase order.
- Maintain a Controlled Drug Log of all controlled drugs and any compounded products that contain controlled drugs.
- Ensure that the Controlled Drug Log contains information about what drugs were used for which animals, the date that a controlled substance is dispensed or administered, the name and address of the client, the name, strength, and quantity of the controlled substance dispensed or administered, and the quantity of the controlled substance remaining in the member’s inventory after the controlled substance is dispensed or administered.
- Ensure audits are performed on a regular basis.
- Ensure that all controlled drugs are stored securely at all times.
- Restrict access to controlled drugs to veterinarians and qualified auxiliary staff.
- Report unreconciled loss or theft of controlled drugs to police immediately and to Health Canada within 10 days .
- Destroy controlled drugs using a process that follows federal regulations and any environmental requirements set out by federal, provincial and/or municipal jurisdictions.
Guide to the Standard
A separate Guide to the Professional Practice Standard: Management and Disposal of Controlled Drugs has been developed by the College and can be found on the Colleges’ website www.cvo.org.
Legislative Authority
R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 1093: General s. 28 (Veterinarians Act)
SRO/2000-217, s. 1(1), 2, 6, 7, 58-62 (Benzodiazepine and Other Targeted Substances Regulations, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Canada)
C.R.C., c 870, Part G.01.001-002, G.04.001-002, G.05.001 (Food and Drug Regulations, Food and Drugs Act, Canada)
C.R.C., c 1041, s. 54, 63, 65(1-2) (Narcotic Control Regulations, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Canada)
Resources
The following can be found at the College’s website at cvo.org:
Guide to the Professional Practice Standard: Management and Disposal of Controlled Drugs
Professional Practice Standard: Medical Records
Guide to the Professional Practice Standard: Medical Records
Sample Controlled Substance Log
Sample Audit Forms
Tips for Conducting Audits
The following additional resources are also applicable:
Health Canada, Loss or Theft Report Form for Controlled Substances and Precursor
Health Canada, Guidance on Reporting Loss or Theft of Controlled Substances and Precursors