Question About Writing Prescriptions

[lions2107]

My husband and I just moved to an expensive city for me to practice. My husband and I are both sick and the co-pays for our medications are extremely expensive and beyond our means, even with insurance. We're saddled with loans, medical debt, CC debt financing expenses that education loans didn't cover, car payments (lack of public transportation to where I work), and even cheap housing is expensive here. His job pays very little and in the grand scheme of things, so does mine.

What are the consequences of writing a prescription for a non-controlled substance (with no danger of abuse) in the name of one of our pets for personal use? If I were to get caught, would the consequence be a fine, losing job, license suspension, or revocation? I'm not saying I'm going to do this, but it's something that I need to consider. We don't qualify for public assistance - the only money we spend on anything nice is occasionally cooking a nicer dinner at home or getting a $10 bottle of wine. We don't live outside our means.

I know this sounds crazy to a lot of you and I'm sure a lot of you are judging. I get that. We don't have any family that can help. I'm just seeking information so I can figure out what the "least bad" option is.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

My husband and I just moved to an expensive city for me to practice. My husband and I are both sick and the co-pays for our medications are extremely expensive and beyond our means, even with insurance. We're saddled with loans, medical debt, CC debt financing expenses that education loans didn't cover, car payments (lack of public transportation to where I work), and even cheap housing is expensive here. His job pays very little and in the grand scheme of things, so does mine.

What are the consequences of writing a prescription for a non-controlled substance (with no danger of abuse) in the name of one of our pets for personal use? If I were to get caught, would the consequence be a fine, losing job, license suspension, or revocation? I'm not saying I'm going to do this, but it's something that I need to consider. We don't qualify for public assistance - the only money we spend on anything nice is occasionally cooking a nicer dinner at home or getting a $10 bottle of wine. We don't live outside our means.

I know this sounds crazy to a lot of you and I'm sure a lot of you are judging. I get that. We don't have any family that can help. I'm just seeking information so I can figure out what the "least bad" option is.

The consequences probably depend on your state - I'm assuming you're in the US - but the reality is that you would be writing a fraudulent prescription, which would be professional misconduct at best and practicing (human) medicine without a license (at worst). I bet you could potentially lose your veterinary license over writing prescriptions with the knowledge and intent that the medication would be abused (i.e. used in an unintended fashion).


That's not a risk I would take - after all the time and money to get my license, I'm not so eager to knowingly risk it that way.

 

[LetItSnow]

My husband and I just moved to an expensive city for me to practice. My husband and I are both sick and the co-pays for our medications are extremely expensive and beyond our means, even with insurance. We're saddled with loans, medical debt, CC debt financing expenses that education loans didn't cover, car payments (lack of public transportation to where I work), and even cheap housing is expensive here. His job pays very little and in the grand scheme of things, so does mine.

What are the consequences of writing a prescription for a non-controlled substance (with no danger of abuse) in the name of one of our pets for personal use? If I were to get caught, would the consequence be a fine, losing job, license suspension, or revocation? I'm not saying I'm going to do this, but it's something that I need to consider. We don't qualify for public assistance - the only money we spend on anything nice is occasionally cooking a nicer dinner at home or getting a $10 bottle of wine. We don't live outside our means.

I know this sounds crazy to a lot of you and I'm sure a lot of you are judging. I get that. We don't have any family that can help. I'm just seeking information so I can figure out what the "least bad" option is.

I'm not judging, because I think if <most> of us were honest, we've at least thought about doing it for one reason or another ranging from trivial (I once considered scripting out ondansetron to myself.... er.... my dog) to abusive (narcotics, etc.). (I'm fortunate enough to have an MD sister who rolls her eyes and scripts something for me if it's pretty benign and makes sense.)

I wouldn't take the risk, either (I agree with Calliope). Play the "what will the newspaper headline read" game with yourself and ask yourself what your life will be like if you do it and get caught. I would bet you wouldn't get your veterinary license revoked outright on the first offense, but you'd be slammed with some heavy duty punishment .... and you likely wouldn't qualify for a DEA license after that .... and you might suffer prosecution for practicing (human) medicine without a license. All bad stuff.

But my question back to you would be: How does you scripting it out save you money? You'd have to fill the script at a pharmacy where you'd have to pay full price for the drug anyway, right? As opposed to whatever subsidized price your insurance plan has?

Right? Am I missing something? I feel like I must be, since you see it as a cheaper way to obtain whatever it is.

 

[LoveWillSaveTheDay]

My husband and I just moved to an expensive city for me to practice. My husband and I are both sick and the co-pays for our medications are extremely expensive and beyond our means, even with insurance. We're saddled with loans, medical debt, CC debt financing expenses that education loans didn't cover, car payments (lack of public transportation to where I work), and even cheap housing is expensive here. His job pays very little and in the grand scheme of things, so does mine.

What are the consequences of writing a prescription for a non-controlled substance (with no danger of abuse) in the name of one of our pets for personal use? If I were to get caught, would the consequence be a fine, losing job, license suspension, or revocation? I'm not saying I'm going to do this, but it's something that I need to consider. We don't qualify for public assistance - the only money we spend on anything nice is occasionally cooking a nicer dinner at home or getting a $10 bottle of wine. We don't live outside our means.

I know this sounds crazy to a lot of you and I'm sure a lot of you are judging. I get that. We don't have any family that can help. I'm just seeking information so I can figure out what the "least bad" option is.

I work in a pharmacy and stumbled on this thread (I'm an extreme lurker on this site lol).
Don't do it. if your script is too expensive, use Goodrx.com. We hate that site at the pharmacy, but I can't deny that it can save people a lot of money on their medications. Just be aware that they'll have your information once you use it, no matter what the commercial says....

 

[dyachei]

it's not very ethical and might lead to licensure issues. it's just not worth it

 

[Lissarae06]

I'm guessing it isn't the cost of the drugs OP is worried about but the office visit etc to get a script from an MD. Being in a new place OP probably would need to establish a new PCP etc. I know vets that do this all the time but I don't agree with it.

 

[Caia]

Every month I get a magazine from my association and one of the sections includes disciplinary cases (no-name basis).

The most recent was a vet that prescribed vit B12 to a pet but was actually for the client. They did it 3 separate times and were reported by another vet.

They didn't lose their license and weren't suspended but had to pay more than $14k in fines and costs of the trial, etc. as well as complete some mandatory CE courses. No doubt that a second offense would have resulted in a suspension.

So while this was for a client and not yourself...I don't think, here at least, the reaction would be much different. Not sure about your state.