Bill that could affect veterinarians prescribing opioids moves forward

ROANOKE,Va. – Carrie Turnbull has spent the past 12 years working as a veterinarian. Today, she is giving Cocoa a checkup at Staunton River Veterinary Clinic.

She says Senate Bill 226 will make her job more difficult.

"A majority of vets in the Roanoke Valley were opposed to it because of how difficult it would make it for us to get the meds for our patients that they need," said Turnbull.

The bill requires veterinarians to register with the prescription monitoring program (PMP) along with getting information on any animal and animal owner for which they write an opioid prescription  that will last more than seven days.

Turnbull says that the opioid dosage prescribed to animals is typically much lower than ones for humans.

Sen. Bill Stanley is the bill’s sponsor.

"Vets have been giving and prescribing opioids directly from the pharmacy” said Stanley. “What we are trying to do is monitor when the owner has to get a long-term prescription, and if they do, then that owner has to go to the pharmacy,” said Stanley. 

Stanley says this is where PNP list comes in, to make sure there is no doctor shopping.

Turnbull says that she has a solution that would track doctor shopping and protect the owner's medical history. 

"I don't think putting us in the human database is the answer, maybe putting us in one that is just vet related," said Turnbull.