Veterinarians are focused on delivering patient care and client service. Congress shouldn’t interfere with these goals – but that’s exactly what some lawmakers are attempting through proposed prescription mandate legislation.
U.S. Representatives Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), are championing legislation – the misleadingly-named Fairness to Pet Owners Act (H.R. 1607/S.1290) – that would require veterinarians to provide clients with copies of all companion-animal prescriptions, regardless of whether the client wants one or whether the prescription is ultimately dispensed by the veterinarian or filled by a pharmacy.
This legislation is simply unnecessary because clients are already able to receive prescriptions upon request. Across the country, the AVMA’s Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics require veterinarians to provide prescriptions upon the request of their client, and the vast majority of states have law or regulation requiring the same.
This proposed sweeping federal mandate wouldn’t help veterinary patients or clients. Instead, it would create a complicated web of regulations that would confuse and inconvenience veterinary clients.
At best, this legislation is a poor use of congressional resources. At worst, it’s a dangerous federal interference with veterinary practice. Fill out the form below to ask Congress to reject this legislation.
If you’d like, you can customize this letter with specific information about your practice – for instance, it would be helpful to provide information about the location of your practice and how many individuals you employ
To Email your Congressmen & Senators: click here for the AVMA link
