What should records of schedule III, IV, and V drugs be maintained as?

The records for schedule III, IV, and V drugs must be maintained in an easily retrievable form from ordinary business records to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. This means that veterinary practices need to have systems in place that allow them to quickly access these records for audits or inspections.

These schedules of controlled substances are regulated due to their potential for abuse and dependency, which is why maintaining accurate and accessible records is crucial for accountability and safety. Keeping records in an easily retrievable format also facilitates better management of drug inventory, helps identify usage patterns, and provides transparency that can help in tracking prescribing habits.

Maintaining separate records may not allow for the same ease of access or integration with the business’s overall record-keeping system, while unwritten or verbal confirmations are not legally acceptable methods for record-keeping in veterinary practice. Archiving records indefinitely can also lead to operational inefficiencies and does not align with the principles of regulatory compliance, which often require records to be retained for a specific duration but not necessarily forever.