Since the pandemic, people have turned to virtual meetings, online grocery ordering, and even virtual doctors’ appointments. Many virtual platforms have made it possible for people to safely communicate with a health professional in the comfort of their own home. This trend has also begun to trickle down to veterinary medicine. There are several “telehealth” companies popping up that allow you to meet with a veterinarian without leaving your home. This sounds great in theory, but it has its downfalls because you usually can’t get prescriptions for your pets via telehealth. Only the following states allow online veterinary prescriptions: AZ, CA, DC, FL, ID, NJ, VA, and VT. In this article, we’ll briefly discuss the policies that some states have regarding telehealth appointments, and where you can get a prescription online.
The Veterinary-Client-Patient-Relationship (VCPR)
Most states require a VCPR (Veterinary-Client-Patient-Relationship) to prescribe medications and/or food for your pet. VCPR is an abbreviation that means there is some type of examination by a licensed veterinarian on a pet, and the client must approve and be aware of it. Thus, the veterinarian, pet owner (ie, client), and pet form a consensual medical “relationship”. This is to protect the patient and the doctor.
During the examination, your pet will also be weighed so that medications can be accurately administered. A veterinarian can detect a heart murmur by listening to your pet, and also running bloodwork to determine organ function and/or disease status (eg heartworm tests). All this will help to determine not only if certain drugs can be prescribed, but in what dosage.
These are all things that are done not to disappoint the owners, but to keep your pet as safe as possible. Would you want your doctor to prescribe drugs that could harm your heart if you haven’t listened to your heart before? The same goes for your pet. We as veterinarians only want what is best for your furry friends.
What Virtually Does
While many owners would love to never have to take their pet to the hospital again, especially cats, the truth is that sometimes the pet is better off having a professional physical examine the this. Just by feeling the abdomen, lymph nodes, certain joints, listening to the heart and lungs, checking the ears, etc., a veterinarian can really get an idea of what may be going on with your pet. A veterinarian can only get so much information by talking to an owner virtually, and/or looking at the pet through a computer screen.
In other cases – say, a cat that becomes very aggressive when in a hospital – touching base with a veterinarian online to determine if you need to take your cat to a clinic can be very useful. Many people will use telehealth services as a triage service, to help determine if they need to see their dog or cat right away or can wait until their vet has an opening.
Some states don’t allow doctors to definitively diagnose almost anything. They can talk to a client, see the pet through the screen, and even have owners show specific veterinary items to their pet through the screen. However, since they cannot physically touch the pet, they are not allowed to make a “diagnosis”. They can only make recommendations based on limited information.
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Current Laws by State
Below is a breakdown of what the state currently allows. This website provides a good virtual map that is periodically updated as laws change. However, we highly recommend following the news as new bills and laws are introduced, passed, and rejected across the country.
| State practice law does not use or refer to a VCPR | New York |
| A VCPR CANNOT happen via telemedicine – meaning you have to physically see a vet with your pet | CT, GA, IL, MS, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI |
| For a VCPR, the client and pet must have been physically seen by a veterinarian, or the veterinarian has been “acquainted” with the pet. | AR, DE, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MN, MO, NC, ND, NM, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, WV, WY |
| The pet must be physically examined by a veterinarian for a VCPR | AL, AK, CO, CT, HI, NH, MD, MI, MT, NV, OR |
| The VCPR is only valid for 1 year after the pet is physically examined | AK, GA, IA, ID, OR, SC, TN, WA, WV |
| Telemedicine can be used to establish a VCPR and therefore obtain an online prescription | AZ, CA, DC, FL, ID, NJ, VA, VT |
| Telemedicine may be used for an opioid or controlled substance | NJ, VA |
What’s Not Allowed
Anywhere you can get medications for your pet — be it an online pharmacy, a veterinary hospital, or even your corner drugstore — requires a valid veterinary license to prescribe controlled substances. Each state has different rules on what exact drugs can or cannot be controlled. Some states do not allow online or digital prescriptions for any controlled substance, and you will need to obtain a physical written prescription to take to the pharmacy.
Most states also do not allow veterinary hospitals to “act like a pharmacy”. In other words, you can’t go to any clinic with a prescription for your pet and ask them to fill it. Your pet needs to be a patient there. This can be frustrating for people who may be traveling with their pet and run out of something – they think they can just go to the nearest vet clinic in town and get a refill. In fact, it is generally illegal in most states. This, again, is to protect the vet against people abusing prescriptions, or people who might try to prescribe medication for a pet that isn’t theirs.
Conclusion
Veterinary telehealth and virtual medicine are gaining traction across the United States. While this can be a big help to people who aren’t sure whether or not they should take their pet to an emergency room, it’s also helpful for fearful pets who may react to the hospital. There are limits on what is and isn’t allowed, and they vary by state. As telemedicine becomes so popular in human medicine, laws and regulations for veterinary medicine also continue to change and evolve. While you may want to receive all of your medications and advice online, make sure you check the latest rules and regulations for your particular state on what may or may not be allowed.
Featured Image Credit: Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock
