Create and Print a Veterinary Prescription in Washington

Every hard-copy prescription written in Washington, including veterinary prescriptions and non-controlled prescriptions, must be printed on tamper-resistant prescription paper approved by the Washington Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission. Ordinary office paper is not sufficient.

Written By Brendan Baker

Last updated About 1 month ago

Before Creating the Prescription

Confirm that:

  • A valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship exists.

  • The veterinarian has reviewed and authorized the medication.

  • The client’s full legal name and address are correct.

  • The patient’s name and species are correct.

  • The veterinarian’s Washington credential information is current.

  • The veterinarian has an individual DEA registration when prescribing a controlled substance.

Washington veterinarians must provide a written prescription when requested by the client for medication prescribed under a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship. The client may alternatively request that it be transmitted to a licensed pharmacy of their choice.

Create the Prescription

  1. Open the patient’s record.

  2. Select New Medication Request or open the medication workflow from the current visit.

  3. Search for and select the medication.

  4. Enter:

    • Medication name

    • Strength or concentration

    • Dosage form

    • Quantity

    • Dose, route and frequency

    • Duration

    • Complete directions

    • Number of refills

    • Prescribing veterinarian

  5. Under Fulfillment Method, select Print/Fax.

  6. Confirm the prescription contains:

    • Client name

    • Client address when required

    • Patient name and species

    • Date issued

    • Drug name

    • Strength

    • Dosage form

    • Quantity

    • Directions

    • Refills

    • Veterinarian name

    • Practice address and telephone number

    • DEA number when required

  7. Select Generate Prescription.

Prepare the Approved Paper

  1. Obtain Washington-approved tamper-resistant prescription paper or pads from an authorized vendor.

  2. Confirm the Washington approval seal appears on the paper.

  3. Confirm the form contains two signature lines at the bottom:

    • SUBSTITUTION PERMITTED on the left

    • DISPENSE AS WRITTEN on the right

  4. Load the approved paper into the appropriate printer tray.

  5. Test orientation using ordinary paper.

  6. Do not use an approved prescription sheet for testing.

Washington permits approved blank stock bearing the state seal to be loaded into an office printer so patient-specific prescription information can be added.

PawthosX does not generate the state approval seal or the physical tamper-resistant security features.

Print and Sign

  1. Print at actual size or 100% scale.

  2. Ensure printed text does not obscure the state seal.

  3. Verify the medication and patient information.

  4. Have the veterinarian manually sign:

    • SUBSTITUTION PERMITTED, or

    • DISPENSE AS WRITTEN

  5. Give the original to the client or transmit it to the selected pharmacy through an authorized method.

  6. Save the prescription in the patient record.

Washington’s sample prescription requirements include the date, patient name, practitioner information, medication name, strength, dosage form, quantity, directions, refills and manual signature. Controlled prescriptions additionally require the patient’s address and the veterinarian’s DEA number.

Controlled-Substance Prescriptions

Controlled prescriptions use the same Washington-approved tamper-resistant paper, but must also contain:

  • Client or owner address

  • Patient name and species

  • Veterinarian’s practice address

  • Veterinarian’s DEA registration number

  • Dosage form

  • Manual signature

  • All applicable federal prescription information

Schedule II prescriptions cannot contain refills. Schedule III and IV prescriptions may contain no more than five refills during the six months following issuance.