[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 86 (Monday, June 17, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4523-S4524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. MORAN (for himself, Mr. King, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Cochran, 
        Mr. Grassley, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Enzi, and Mrs. Gillibrand):
  S. 1171. A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow a 
veterinarian to transport and dispense controlled substances in the 
usual course of veterinary practice outside of the registered location; 
to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senators Moran and 
King in reintroducing the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act of 2013. 
This legislation comes in response to a Drug Enforcement 
Administration, DEA, interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act, 
which requires veterinarians to treat animals with controlled 
substances at the location in which they are registered. This 
interpretation of the law is very burdensome to both farmers and 
veterinarians, and it shows a lack of common sense by the DEA. In many 
cases a sick animal such as a horse, cow or pig cannot be transported 
to the veterinarian's office, and has to be treated on the farm or even 
in the pasture. When a larger animal is ill and needs treatment it has 
been common practice for the veterinarian to make a house call to treat 
the affected animal. The ability for veterinarians to make house calls 
is a key component in the ability to effectively treat livestock 
animals.
  I am very concerned about the problems we face in the diversion of 
controlled substances especially powerful narcotics. However, efforts 
to control the diversion of controlled substances need to take into 
account the needs of legitimate patients whether human or livestock. 
Forcing a farmer to load a sick animal into a trailer for a trip to the 
veterinarian's office is not a practical solution to ward off the 
diversion of controlled substances. Rules governing the use and 
transportation of controlled substances must be practical and not 
overly burdensome. In the case of veterinary medicine the Veterinary 
Medicine Mobility Act of 2013 strikes the right balance.
  This legislation allows a veterinarian to transport a controlled 
substance ``in the usual course of veterinary medicine practice at a 
site other than the registrants registered principal place of business 
or professional practice.'' The bill also requires the veterinarian to 
only dispense controlled substances in a State where they are licensed 
to practice veterinary medicine, which will help to eliminate the 
transportation of controlled substances across State lines. I have 
heard from numerous veterinarians and other stakeholders that this bill 
is needed in order to provide certainty that our veterinarians will be 
able to use the necessary tools available to them without interference 
from the DEA. Overly burdensome regulations can have a detrimental 
impact on businesses in this country. This is an instance of the 
Federal Government not using common sense, and causing unnecessary 
problems for the people responsible for maintaining the health of our 
Nation's livestock herds. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting 
this commonsense bill.

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