A xylazine win for Florida veterinarians

Bolstered by more than two years of advocacy work by the Florida Veterinary Medical Association and AVMA, Florida's attorney general has initiated the process to provide a veterinary exemption to the state's xylazine scheduling.

Xylazine, an important animal sedative, is a Schedule I controlled substance in Florida, and there currently is no exemption for its use in veterinary medicine. Last week, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that his office had filed to create an exemption for veterinary uses of the drug.

The change will go through a rule-making process in Florida before taking effect.

The Florida VMA has been advocating for a veterinary exemption to help ensure veterinary access to this important drug for treating patients. The AVMA has supported this effort throughout the process with information and lobbying resources.

"By providing an exemption for xylazine for this limited purpose, we are protecting access for legitimate veterinary use while keeping this dangerous substance out of the hands of drug dealers and abusers," Uthmeier said in a news release announcing his action.