The state of North Carolina plans to make reporting mandatory for the usage of a medication frequently employed for pain management in animals, with implementation expected in approximately one year.
As part of Gov. Roy Cooper’s North Carolina Opioid and Substance Use Action Plan, he signed into law this past June a new requirement to report the use of gabapentin despite it not being a scheduled drug. For pharmacies, the law goes into effect March 1, 2024, and a year later, veterinarians must comply.
Initially approved as an anti-seizure medication for humans, gabapentin is currently being abused alongside illicit opioids, resulting in certain states categorizing gabapentin as a controlled substance.
Currently, without the approval for any label indications from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the drug has been used in an extralabel manner to treat a spectrum of conditions in animals.
Per the new law, gabapentin will be reportable by veterinarians only if the amount dispensed exceeds a 48-hour supply, says Claire H. Holley, executive director of the North Carolina VMA (NCVMA).
For more information, click here.