Veterinarian Information 

Veterinarian Prescribing & the CPMRS

Prescribing: Prescribe means to order or designate a remedy or any preparation for a patient (animal) under the care of a practitioner.

All practitioners who prescribe controlled substances in the State of Connecticut must hold an active Connecticut Controlled Substance Practitioner (CSP) Registration with the State of Connecticut and an active CT DEA # registration.

For CSP registration information please read the DCP guide “Prescribing Controlled Substances in the State of Connecticut” at “Prescribing Controlled Substances in the State of Connecticut”. The prescription monitoring program cannot answer questions about the CSP registration or renewal process or prescriber status.

All CSP related questions should be referred to the Department of Consumer Protection Drug Control Division email at dcp.drugcontrol@ct.gov or call (860) 713-6065 for more information.

Can I prescribe controlled substances in CT with just a DEA #?

A veterinarian that wants to dispense controlled substances must possess CSP. Without both a CSP and a CT DEA# associated to it, a practitioner in or out of state is not permitted to distribute, dispense, conduct research, administer, or procure controlled substances during their professional practice as permitted by the Department of Public Health or another governing agency.

How do I look up an animal patient in the CPMRS?

Best Practice is to use the partial spelling feature: Enter at least 3 characters for first and last name.

Make sure check boxes under the first and last names are selected.

Enter the animal patients first name and owner's last name. Enter at least 3 characters for first and last name.

Date of Birth is not required when both check boxes are selected. Click Search.

CPMRS users should consult the CPMRS Requestor User Support Manual that provides step-by-step instructions for healthcare professionals requesting data from the CPMRS database.

What is the veterinarian prescribing of scenario where a mandatory review of the animal patient prescription history is required?

If any veterinarian is prescribing greater than a 72 hour supply of a Schedule II-V controlled substance, the prescriber will use the CPMRS to look up the patients prescription history report.

Is there a veterinarian prescribing scenario where a mandatory review of the animal patient prescription history is not required?

For veterinarians that are prescribing more than a 72 hour supply of insulin drugs, glucagon drugs, diabetes devices, diabetic ketoacidosis devices, gabapentin, and naloxone are all prescriptions that do not require mandatory look-up. Requirements do not apply because all the listed medications, including gabapentin, are non-controlled substances.

PMP recommends prescribers and dispensers utilize the CPMRS prescription history of their patient and the analytical tools provided as a routine part of their overall patient care plan. It is a good prescriber practice to review any available prescription history data for all new patients before you see them in person and for all patients you routinely see, regardless of prescribing mandates.

To learn more about CPMRS mandatory prescriber patient prescription history reviews prior to prescribing visit the PMP Prescriber Information page.

Can veterinarians authorize delegates to look up animal patient prescription history in the CPMRS for them?

Yes. Direct prescriber-authorized veterinary technicians and office personnel may register for a CPMRS account under the role of 'Prescriber Delegate - Licensed' or 'Prescriber's Delegate- Unlicensed.' You as the authorized account dispenser have to approve them for the role. Remember to remove them as a delegate role if they will not be patient searching for you anymore. As the prescriber who authorized the delegate role, you are responsible for any delegate misuse of the CPMRS.

Where can I get the details about registering for an account, creating patient requests, viewing request status, viewing patient reports, appointing a delegate to request and receive information on behalf of a prescriber or dispenser, and managing your CPMRS account?

CPMRS users should consult the CPMRS Requestor User Support Manual that provides step-by-step instructions for healthcare professionals requesting data from the CPMRS database. It includes all those topics and more.

Veterinarian Dispensing & the CPMRS

Dispensing: Dispense means to process a drug or device for delivery or for administration to a patient pursuant to a prescription. Dispense does not include delivering a drug or device to a patient or administering the drug or device to a patient.

For example, pharmacists dispense medications to patients at a pharmacy after the patient is issued a prescription by their prescribing practitioner. Only a pharmacy can accept a prescription for dispensing in the State of Connecticut.

Prescribing Practitioners Dispensing: Prescribing practitioners may dispense drugs but shall do so personally and cannot delegate any part of the dispensing process.

    For example: Comparing the directions on the label with the directions on the prescription to                    determine accuracy; the selection of the drug or device from stock to fill the prescription; the                    counting, measuring, compounding, or preparation of the drug or device; the placing of the                      drug or device in the proper container; the affixing of the label to the container; and the                            addition to a written prescription of any required notations; is dispensing. 

How is the reporting of prescription dispensations done?

All pharmacy, nonresident pharmacy, outpatient pharmacy in a hospital or institution, and prescribing practitioners who dispense (including veterinary facilities) that are licensed by the State of Connecticut shall report all required drugs and medical devices dispensed immediately upon, but in no event later than the next business day (dispensing veterinarians are permitted to report weekly) into the CPMRS Data Collection portal also known as the PMP Clearinghouse. The PMP Clearinghouse is operated out of state by Bamboo Health.

The PMP requires all practitioners that are authorized to dispense prescription drugs in Connecticut to register with the PMP Clearinghouse.

All authorized dispensers must create an account regardless of the actual prescription drug(s) and/or devices dispensed.

An account is critical for all dispensers who do not dispense reportable drugs or medical devices to ZERO REPORT as a dispenser to patients. The method for completing reporting compliance is accomplished by maintaining a PMP Clearinghouse account. More information on registering and uploading can be found on the PMP Clearinghouse website.

All dispensers need to visit Pharmacist & Dispensing Prescribers Information to learn more about dispensation reporting requirements, dispensing activities exemptions and dispensing reporting waivers.

For technical assistance with registration and uploading data, contact Bamboo Health PMP Clearinghouse at (866) 683-3246.

How are the prescription dispensations reporting requirements for animal patients different from human patients?

Human patient reportable dispensations are required to be uploaded within 24 hours of dispensing. Veterinarian or animal patient reportable dispensations are permitted to be uploaded weekly at a minimum.

What animal patient dispensations are reportable?

Licensed dispensing veterinarians, veterinarian facilities and pharmacies, are exempt from the reporting requirement for the dispensation of insulin drugs, glucagon drugs, diabetes devices, and diabetic ketoacidosis devices for animal patients. Gabapentin and naloxone remain reportable for all dispensers.

Meeting ALL or ANY of the following conditions requires the dispenser to submit dispensation data to the PMP Clearinghouse:

• Dispensed Schedule II-V controlled substances with a prescription supply that is greater than a 48-hour supply.
• Gabapentin.
• Naloxone.
• Insulin Drugs (veterinarian drugs are not reportable).
• Glucagon Drugs (veterinarian drugs are not reportable).
• Diabetic Devices (veterinarian devices are not reportable).
• Diabetic Ketoacidosis Devices (veterinarian devices are not reportable).

All dispensers who do not dispense reportable drugs or medical devices must still ZERO REPORT through their active PMP Clearinghouse account. Modes of auto reporting can be established in the account.

All dispensers need to visit Pharmacist & Dispensing Prescribers Information to learn more about dispensation reporting requirements, dispensing activities exemptions and dispensing reporting waivers.

For technical assistance with registration and uploading data, contact Bamboo Health PMP Clearinghouse at (866) 683-3246.

Where can I obtain the NDC list for reportable prescription medications?

US Food & Drug Administration National Drug Directory

The PMP Clearinghouse is not accepting the NDC for the veterinary medication I am trying to upload. What should I do?

The NDC for some veterinary medications may need to be added to the PMP Clearinghouse system for it to upload correctly. You may also be trying to upload a non-reportable veterinarian use only drug or medical device with no national NDC# assigned.

For technical assistance with registration and uploading data, contact Bamboo Health PMP Clearinghouse at (866) 683-3246.

How do I report a compound drug to Clearinghouse?

If using the universal claim form, click the Compound checkbox in the Drug Information section of the page, complete the required fields for the first drug ingredient, then click Add New to add additional drug ingredients.

1. DSP07 (Product ID Qualifier) - Enter '06' to indicate Compound
2. DSP08 (Product ID) - Enter the NDC number as eleven "9"s (99999999999) > CDI fields will be required
3. DSP09 (Quantity Dispensed) - For compounds show the first quantity in CDI04
4. CDI (Compound Drug Ingredient) Fields- If more than one ingredient is for a prescription monitoring program reporting drug, then this would be incremented by one for each compound ingredient being reported. 

• CDI01 (Compound Drug Ingredient Sequence Number) - First reportable ingredient is 1; each additional reportable ingredient is incremented by 1.

• CDI02 (Product ID Qualifier) - Enter '01' to indicate NDC

• CDI03 (Product ID) - Enter NDC for ingredient being reported including leading zeros without punctuation

• CDI04 (Compound Ingredient Quantity) - Metric decimal quantity of the ingredient identified in CDI03.

• CDI05 (Compound Drug Dosage Units Code) - Identifies the unit of measure for the quantity dispensed in CDI04. ('01' Each (used to report as package); '02' Milliliters (ml) (for liters, adjust to the decimal milliliter equivalent); '03' Grams (gm) (for milligrams, adjust to the decimal gram equivalent)

All dispensers need to visit Pharmacist & Dispensing Prescribers Information to learn more about dispensation reporting requirements, dispensing activities exemptions and dispensing reporting waivers.

For technical assistance with registration and uploading data, contact Bamboo Health PMP Clearinghouse at (866) 683-3246.

Where can I get the details about my account management and patient dispensation data uploading into the PMP Clearinghouse?

All dispensers should refer to, and familiarize themselves with the PMP Clearinghouse Data Submission Guide for Dispensers 

This document serves as a training guide and support manual for dispensers of Schedule II through Schedule V controlled substances and other reportable drugs in Connecticut who use Bamboo Health’s PMP Clearinghouse repository to report their dispensations.

For technical assistance with registration and uploading data, contact Bamboo Health PMP Clearinghouse at (866) 683-3246.

Does daily patient dispensation reporting apply to veterinary dispensers?

No. All dispensing veterinarians, veterinarian facilities and pharmacies dispensing to animal patients are permitted to report weekly at a minimum.

Human patient dispensation reporting is within 24 hours of the dispensation.

There is no dispensing of any prescriptions occurring on the veterinarian practice premises. Do we still need to report at a minimum weekly to the PMP Clearinghouse?

Yes. All pharmacies, nonresident pharmacies, outpatient pharmacies in a hospital or institution, and dispensers that are licensed by the State of Connecticut are required to report. Both in-state and non-resident pharmacies and all prescriber/dispenser’s such as veterinarians or other health practitioners with dispensing authority. Even with no reportable dispensing occurring a ZERO REPORT status must be maintained in the dispensers PMP Clearinghouse account.

All dispensers need to visit Pharmacist & Dispensing Prescribers Information to learn more about dispensation reporting requirements, dispensing activities exemptions and dispensing reporting waivers.

Animal Patient Prescribing & Dispensing Examples

For scenarios regarding veterinarian prescribing and dispensing, please review Animal Patient Prescribing & Dispensing Examples 

Fax: (860) 622-2608