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WSYR-TV – As the opioid epidemic continues to grow, users are now finding another way to get a fix— by stealing prescriptions from animals.
A district attorney in Massachusetts issued a warning after a woman noticed her pet wasn’t getting better with medicine. She suspects a relative was taking the drugs.
Even veterinarians in Central New York are taking notice.
When animals end up in Dr. Polly Fleckenstein’s office, they’re usually in pain. For chronic cases, common opiates might be prescribed with refills.
“We’ve had maybe one or two people recently where they’ve requested drugs sooner than we thought they should, and that kind of raises the index of suspicion,” Fleckenstein said.
It’s a reminder that veterinary supplies may be a target as opioid addiction rates rise, driving users to steal, even from pets in pain.
At the Veterinary Medical Center of Central New York, video cameras monitor drug boxes and one person per shift has keys for two different locks.
“Hydrocodone we use typically for dogs with bronchitis. We also have buprenorphine, which is another opioid. We do send this home with cats,” Fleckenstien said.
Vets at the VMC might send home about half a dozen different opioids with animal patients, but they are limited to a 30-day supply. If more are needed, pet owners have to come back and see someone face-to-face.
“So if I’m suspicious that someone might be abusing tramadol, I might say, ‘you know it doesn’t seem to be working as well, maybe we should try gabapentin….or acupuncture,” Fleckenstein revealed.
A quick exam helps vets verify pain. But, they can’t guarantee the animal will get their prescription.
Relatives of users can help by controlling who handles the drugs, monitoring a pet’s improvement to be sure they’re benefiting from painkillers and by counting the pills, as the VMC does at their center.
The doctor says vets in New York report to the state’s prescription monitoring program every day.
Whenever patients get a controlled drug, workers record the date, time, name, and how many pills were taken.