Controlled Substance Log Template for Vets

Controlled Substance Log Template

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

Practising in Singapore? Use our controlled drugs register template for Singapore vet clinics, based on the Misuse of Drugs Regulations.

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.

PetChart keeps a controlled-drug log with the same columns as this template: every receipt, use and disposal by batch, the running balance, and who recorded it, and each use names the patient. It prints on A4 to check against your bound register, which you keep too. Get early access to PetChart.

Controlled Substance Log Template for Veterinary Practices