What is EPCS in Animal Health?
Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances (EPCS) is the DEA certified process that allows prescribers to securely send prescriptions for controlled medications directly to pharmacies. In human healthcare, EPCS is already mandated in most states, reducing fraud and improving safety. Now, EPCS in animal health is becoming a critical advancement, replacing outdated paper scripts, faxes, and phone calls with a digital workflow that is faster, safer, and fully auditable.
Why EPCS Matters in Veterinary Medicine
Controlled substances in animal health play an essential role in veterinary care. From post-surgical pain management to long-term treatment of chronic conditions, veterinarians rely on controlled medications every day.
Yet, until now, prescribing these medications has been slow and error-prone. Lost faxes, delayed phone calls, and manual paperwork waste valuable staff time and can delay treatment for pets who need relief. Even more concerning, these outdated methods create compliance risks. Handwritten prescriptions can be altered, faxes can be misdirected, and phone authorizations leave no audit trail.
By modernizing with EPCS for veterinarians, practices not only improve efficiency but also align with DEA requirements for secure, verifiable prescribing of controlled substances in veterinary medicine.
VetWay: The First DEA Certified EPCS Platform in Animal Health
VetWay is proud to be the first platform in animal health fully DEA certified for EPCS. This means our technology meets every DEA requirement, including:
- Two-factor authentication for prescribers
- Strict identity proofing
- Secure transmission standards
- Comprehensive audit trails
By achieving full compliance, VetWay ensures that veterinary teams can prescribe with confidence, pharmacies can process controlled medications in animal health without delay, and pet owners receive medications faster and more securely.
Benefits of EPCS for Veterinary Practices and Pharmacies
- Security: Reduces fraud, diversion, and misdirected prescriptions.
- Efficiency: Saves staff hours wasted on fax and phone workflows.
- Compliance: Keeps veterinary medicine aligned with DEA mandates.
- Trust: Builds confidence among pet owners that prescriptions are accurate and safe.
The Future of EPCS in Veterinary Medicine
EPCS has long been the standard in human healthcare, and now, through VetWay, it is finally available in veterinary medicine. As regulations across healthcare continue to tighten, mandates for EPCS in animal health are expected to follow. This milestone sets a new bar for safety, efficiency, and compliance in veterinary prescribing.
By eliminating outdated workflows and replacing them with a single, DEA certified digital process, VetWay is modernizing the way controlled substances in animal health move between veterinarians and pharmacies.
Final Thoughts
The future of veterinary prescribing isn’t just digital—it’s DEA certified. And as animal health follows the same regulatory path as human healthcare, practices and pharmacies that adopt EPCS today won’t just be more efficient and secure—they’ll already be prepared for the compliance mandates of tomorrow.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is EPCS in veterinary medicine?
EPCS (Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances) is the DEA-certified digital process that allows veterinarians to prescribe controlled medications securely and electronically. It replaces faxed, phoned, or handwritten approvals with a verifiable, auditable digital workflow.
Why does EPCS matter now?
Controlled medications are essential in animal health, but the legacy approval process is inefficient and risky. EPCS closes that gap—reducing fraud, lost prescriptions, and compliance errors while speeding up treatment for pets.
Is EPCS required for veterinarians?
Not yet at the federal level, but most states have already mandated EPCS in human healthcare, and similar veterinary mandates are expected soon. Practices that adopt now stay ahead of those regulations and eliminate manual compliance risks.
What makes VetWay’s EPCS certification significant?
VetWay is the first DEA-certified EPCS platform built exclusively for animal health. It meets every DEA requirement—two-factor authentication, identity proofing, secure transmission, and audit trails—while remaining neutral and interoperable across all pharmacies and PIMS.
How does EPCS benefit both practices and pharmacies?
EPCS streamlines every controlled-substance workflow into a single, digital exchange. Practices save hours of administrative time, pharmacies receive validated digital orders instantly, and pet owners get medications faster—with full security and traceability.