Guides
DEA Compliance Guides
Practical, source-grounded answers to the controlled-substance questions U.S. veterinary practices actually face — built from 21 CFR and DEA guidance, not opinion.
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Controlled Substance Policy & SOPs: What a Veterinary Practice Needs (2026)
What belongs in a veterinary practice's written controlled-substance program — the policies and SOPs that cover registration, access, storage, ordering, logging, inventory, disposal, diversion, and training.
Read the guide →DEA Fines Against Vet Practices: 6 Real Cases (2026)
Real DEA and DOJ enforcement actions against veterinary practices, 2016–2025. Penalties ran $15,000 to $226,000 — almost all for recordkeeping failures.
Read the guide →DEA Inspection Checklist for Veterinary Practices (2026)
What a DEA inspection of a veterinary practice covers, what triggers one, the checklist an investigator works through, and how to prepare with a self-audit.
Read the guide →DEA License & Registration for Veterinarians (2026): Step-by-Step
Getting a DEA license for a new veterinary practice: the Form 224 application, the fee, how long approval actually takes, separate-location and state rules — and what has to be in place before your first controlled substance arrives.
Read the guide →Veterinary Controlled Substance Log + Free Template
A complete guide to the veterinary controlled substance log — what it must contain, the log types you need, how to fill one out, and a free template to start.
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AAHA Controlled Substance Log Requirements Explained
What AAHA expects for controlled substance logs before an accreditation evaluation — the required log components, the reconciliation standard, and how AAHA's requirements compare with the DEA federal minimum.
Read the guide →Biennial Inventory for Vet Controlled Substances (2026)
What the DEA biennial inventory requires — initial vs. biennial, counting at opening or close of business, what to record, and how to sign and retain it.
Read the guide →When Your Controlled Substance Count Doesn't Match: A Reconciliation Guide (2026)
A step-by-step decision tree for veterinary practices when the physical count of a controlled substance doesn't match the log — how to investigate, when it's a recordkeeping error, and when it becomes a reportable loss.
Read the guide →Controlled Substance Log Book for Vet Practices (2026)
Does your vet practice need a bound controlled substance log book? Logbook vs. binder vs. spreadsheet, what it must contain, and a free template to start.
Read the guide →Controlled Substance Schedules & Common Veterinary Drugs (II–V), Explained (2026)
A plain-English guide to the DEA controlled substance schedules and where common veterinary drugs — ketamine, buprenorphine, pentobarbital, butorphanol, phenobarbital, tramadol and more — actually fall.
Read the guide →Controlled Substance Storage Requirements for Vets (2026)
What the DEA actually requires to store controlled substances in a vet clinic — the 'securely locked, substantially constructed cabinet' standard.
Read the guide →DEA Form 106: Reporting Lost or Stolen Drugs (Vets)
When and how a vet practice reports stolen or lost controlled substances — the one-business-day notice, filing DEA Form 106 online, and what comes next.
Read the guide →DEA Form 222 & Ordering Schedule II Drugs in a Veterinary Practice (2026)
How a veterinary practice orders Schedule II controlled substances — DEA Form 222, CSOS electronic ordering, power of attorney, receiving and recording shipments, and the records to keep.
Read the guide →Drug Diversion in Vet Practices: Prevent & Respond (2026)
Drug diversion — staff stealing controlled substances — is a rising risk in vet practices. How to spot the warning signs, prevent it, respond, and report it.
Read the guide →Euthanasia Solution Handling & Records in a Veterinary Practice (2026)
How to store, log, witness, reconcile, and dispose of pentobarbital-based euthanasia solution — the controlled-substance rules that apply to one of the most sensitive drugs in the practice.
Read the guide →How Long to Keep Controlled Substance Records (Vets)
How long a vet practice must keep controlled substance records — the federal two-year minimum, stricter state rules, what's covered, and where to store them.
Read the guide →How to Dispose of Expired Controlled Substances in a Veterinary Practice (2026)
The lawful ways a veterinary practice can dispose of expired or unwanted controlled substances — reverse distributors, DEA Form 41, on-site destruction, what you must document, and what you must never do.
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