2007 Minnesota Statutes

156.18 VETERINARY PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
    Subdivision 1. Prescription. (a) A person may not dispense a veterinary prescription drug to
a client without a prescription or other veterinary authorization. A person may not make extra-label
use of an animal or human drug for an animal without a prescription from a veterinarian. A
veterinarian or the veterinarian's authorized employee may dispense a veterinary prescription drug
to a client or oversee the extra-label use of a veterinary drug directly by a client without a separate
written prescription, providing there is an existing veterinarian-client-patient relationship.
(b) A veterinarian may dispense prescription veterinary drugs and prescribe and dispense
extra-label use drugs to a client without personally examining the animal if a bona fide
veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists and in the judgment of the veterinarian the client has
sufficient knowledge to use the drugs properly.
(c) A veterinarian may issue a prescription or other veterinary authorization by oral or
written communication to the dispenser, or by computer connection. If the communication is oral,
the veterinarian must enter it into the patient's record. The dispenser must record the veterinarian's
prescription or other veterinary authorization within 72 hours.
(d) A prescription or other veterinary authorization must include:
(1) the name, address, and, if written, the signature of the prescriber;
(2) the name and address of the client;
(3) identification of the species for which the drug is prescribed or ordered;
(4) the name, strength, and quantity of the drug;
(5) the date of issue;
(6) directions for use; and
(7) withdrawal time.
(e) A veterinarian may, in the course of professional practice and an existing
veterinarian-client-patient relationship, prepare medicaments that combine drugs approved by
the United States Food and Drug Administration and other legally obtained ingredients with
appropriate vehicles.
(f) A veterinarian or a bona fide employee of a veterinarian may dispense veterinary
prescription drugs to a person on the basis of a prescription issued by a licensed veterinarian. The
provisions of paragraphs (c) and (d) apply.
(g) This section does not limit the authority of the Minnesota Racing Commission to regulate
veterinarians providing services at a licensed racetrack.
    Subd. 2. Label of dispensed veterinary drugs. (a) A veterinarian or the veterinarian's
authorized agent dispensing a veterinary prescription drug or prescribing the extra-label use of an
over-the-counter drug must provide written information which includes the name and address
of the veterinarian, date of filling, species of patient, name or names of drug, strength of drug
or drugs, directions for use, withdrawal time, and cautionary statements, if any, appropriate for
the drug.
(b) If the veterinary drug has been prepared, mixed, formulated, or packaged by the dispenser,
all of the information required in paragraph (a) must be provided on a label affixed to the container.
(c) If the veterinary drug is in the manufacturer's original package, the information required
in paragraph (a) must be supplied in writing but need not be affixed to the container. Information
required in paragraph (a) that is provided by the manufacturer on the original package does not
need to be repeated in the separate written information. Written information required by this
paragraph may be written on the sales invoice.
    Subd. 3. Records on veterinary drug transactions. A veterinarian must maintain complete
records of receipt and distribution of each prescription veterinary drug. The records may be kept
in the form of sales invoices, shipping records, prescription files, or a record or log established
solely to satisfy the requirements of this subdivision. Records must include:
(1) the name of the drug;
(2) the name and address of the person from whom the drug was shipped and the date
and quantity received; and
(3) the name and address of the person to whom the drug was distributed and the date
and quantity shipped or otherwise distributed.
    Subd. 4. Record keeping. Records required by this section must be kept for at least two
years after dispensing of the drug has been completed.
History: 1989 c 314 s 6; 1996 c 415 s 31,32