American Animal Hospital Association – Former-DEA agent: Veterinary hospitals are “low-hanging fruit”

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has too much time on its hands. At least, that’s how it might seem to some veterinary professionals.

Jack Teitelman, retired DEA supervisory agent and current chief executive officer of DEA compliance experts Titan Group, told NEWStat that the DEA is shifting some of its focus from its high-profile efforts to battle the opioid crisis to scrutinizing compliance at veterinary hospitals.

“In the past, [the DEA] targeted pain clinics and pharmacies and distributors that were not adhering to the compliance standards,” Teitelman said, referring to the DEA’s efforts to identify and shut down so-called pill mills, meaning clinics, pharmacies, and physicians who prescribe prescription narcotics for nonmedical or inappropriate reasons. And because they spent so much time on pill mills, “they’ve pretty much wiped them out.”

The same applies to the opioid crisis in general.
Read more