Variations on this theme have been around for a long time......decades.......when we lived in New York, drugs scheduled I, II or III were required to have the physician complete a "triplicate" prescription form, which contained the patients SSN and other vital information, which were sent to the state and placed in your personal file (both the NYS DEA and NY Justice Dept.)........all this additional bureaucracy and manpower (as well as taxpayer expense) did NOTHING to reduce illicit prescription abuse.
All of this nonsense just makes physicians reluctant to prescribe needed medications for patients (as in cancer and others) that really need them, for fear that by prescribing them they open themselves up to hassles from bureaucrats and law enforcement.
What I really find amusing is here, in my state there are a number of restrictions placed on patients and pharmacies (not doctors) regarding ID requirements, refills, and how soon a patient can order a refill on scheduled drugs.......however, I can go to a Vet and get a prescription for the same medication, in the exact same dosage, for a dog, and there are no restrictions at all........
doc
Doc you are so correct about Vet requirements.
When we got a Rottie Puppy, she was hyper, first time being without Mom and litter mates and away from the humans she grew up with.
The Vet perscribed an antidepressants for her, the prescription read DOG, next to her name. -----I believe it was for Valumin cost for a months supply, $5.00. Talking to a coworker that had been perscribed briefly for that drug, I was told that a human had to pay without insurance at that time $80.00 a month.
Had we been crooked we could have made a fortune selling the dogs medication, just a call to the Vet and say the dog needs more. The Vets are not monitored as closely as the Doctors for humans, occasionally a Vet will be outed and loose their license but in my area only 2 in 15-20 years have been found. Unfortunately these were the Vets that had customers of advanced age that could not afford Human pain relief and a sympathetic Vet would HELP them along the way. Good intentions and the road to Hell.
Then there is the question why the cost of drugs for a pet is but 1/10 of the cost for humans, same darn thing in both cases.
Deep dark dirty secret in the dog fighting ring, getting set up as a Vet in the South after graduation is VERY costly. New Vets often get their start by working with the Dog Fights and some make out well enough to start their own business. [ Told to me by a member of the Vice Squad when I called about an injured Pit Bull a tenant had on my property. When they tracked the owner that was a Vet in NC. I was told to not push it, all had been taken care of the dog was gone from my property.
Unfortunately life goes on with all the twists and turns when it comes to drugs. Nasty business from the top down to the mules 14 year old that street sell this shit.
We have a shortage of life saving drugs for humans today, bet you a dollar to donuts a Vet can find a way to get these drugs on the black market for big bucks for the owners of the Show Dogs and Cats worth thousands.
Not that I am coming down on the Vets or Human doctors, the professions in partnership with the drug company's have a way of justifying their actions as to benift them selves. The civilian that get it the way are put down to Choice, not their problem, justified as a murder involving a person with a hammer cannot blame Black and Decker.
