Controlled Substance Log Template for Veterinary Practices

Controlled Substance Log Template

Based on DEA Practitioner's Manual, Section V and 21 CFR 1304

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) requires all DEA-registered veterinary practitioners to maintain complete and accurate records of all controlled substances received, dispensed, administered, and disposed of (21 CFR 1304.21–22). This template provides a compliant record-keeping format.

Section 1: Practice Information

Field	Entry
Practice Name	___
DEA Registration Number	___
DEA Registration Expiration	___
State License Number	___
Responsible Veterinarian	___
Log Start Date	___
Log End Date	___

Section 2: Controlled Substance Inventory Log

Maintain a separate log page for each controlled substance

Drug Information

Field	Entry
Drug Name (Generic)	___
Drug Name (Brand)	___
DEA Schedule	II / III / IV / V
Concentration/Strength	___
Unit of Measure	mL / mg / tablets / patches
NDC Number	___
Supplier	___

Transaction Log

Date	Time	Transaction Type	Patient Name	Client Name	Qty Used	Qty Wasted	Witness (Waste)	Running Balance	Initials
___	___	Received / Administered / Dispensed / Wasted / Disposed	___	___	___	___	___	___	___
___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___
___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___

Transaction Type Definitions

Received: Drug received from supplier (attach invoice/packing slip)
Administered: Drug given directly to a patient in the clinic
Dispensed: Drug sent home with a client (prescription required)
Wasted: Partial vial/tablet unused and destroyed (witness required)
Disposed: Expired or damaged stock returned to reverse distributor or destroyed per DEA regulations

Section 3: Biennial Inventory

DEA requires a physical inventory of all controlled substances every two years (21 CFR 1304.11)

Drug Name	Schedule	Form	Strength	Container Size	# Full Containers	Partial Container Qty	Total Quantity	Lot Number	Expiration Date
___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___
___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___

Inventory Date: ___

Inventory Time: ___ (Opening / Closing of business)

Conducted By: ___

Witnessed By: ___

Section 4: Discrepancy Report

Complete when a physical count does not match the running balance

Date Discovered	Drug Name	Expected Balance	Actual Count	Discrepancy (+/-)	Investigation Notes	Resolved By	Resolution Date
___	___	___	___	___	___	___	___

DEA Reporting Requirement: Significant losses or thefts of controlled substances must be reported to the DEA using DEA Form 106 within one business day of discovery (21 CFR 1301.76).

Section 5: Waste Witnessing Log

All controlled substance waste must be witnessed by a second authorized individual

Date	Drug Name	Amount Wasted	Reason for Waste	Wasting Individual	Witness Name	Witness Signature
___	___	___	Partial vial / Expired / Contaminated / Patient dose adjustment	___	___	___

Commonly Controlled Substances in Veterinary Practice

Drug	Schedule	Common Use
Ketamine	III	Anesthesia, sedation
Butorphanol	IV	Analgesia, sedation
Diazepam	IV	Sedation, seizure control
Midazolam	IV	Pre-anesthetic sedation
Buprenorphine	III	Analgesia
Tramadol	IV	Analgesia
Phenobarbital	IV	Seizure management
Hydromorphone	II	Analgesia (perioperative)
Fentanyl	II	Analgesia (perioperative, patches)
Pentobarbital	II	Euthanasia
Telazol (tiletamine-zolazepam)	III	Anesthesia

Storage and Security Requirements (DEA)

Schedule II substances: Must be stored in a substantially constructed, locked cabinet or safe (21 CFR 1301.75)
Schedule III–V substances: Must be stored in a locked cabinet or dispersed throughout the pharmacy stock in a manner that prevents diversion
Access: Only DEA-registered practitioners and authorized employees should have access to controlled substance storage
Key control: Limit the number of individuals with keys/combinations; maintain a key access log

Record Retention

Federal requirement: All controlled substance records must be retained for a minimum of 2 years from the date of the transaction (21 CFR 1304.04)
State requirements: Many states require 3–5 years of retention. Check your state veterinary practice act and pharmacy board regulations.
Best practice: Retain records for 7 years to align with general veterinary medical record retention standards.

Sources

DEA. (2020). Practitioner's Manual: An Informational Outline of the Controlled Substances Act, Section V.
21 CFR Part 1304 — Records and Reports of Registrants.
21 CFR 1301.71–76 — Security Requirements.
AVMA. (2024). Controlled Substance Compliance for Veterinary Practices.

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Controlled Substance Log Template for Veterinary Practices