Courtney
Education Specialist
Let’s just be honest — keeping controlled substance storage compliant with all federal regulations may feel like a lot. It’s not about you doing something wrong, but the way things have been done for years. Plus, we all try to juggle too much at once: clients’ visits, their calls, specific patients, invoices, payroll, inventory, tight budgets. Always not enough time or staff.
And so much at once!
No one teaches us how to properly store controlled substances. We’re just expected to figure this out along the way. At VetSnap, we understand that well because we were in your shoes already.
In this post, you’ll know more about new innovative storages that take the stress out of your inventory management.
Legacy Controlled Substance Storage Setups
So, what if you rely on legacy, regular desk or cabinet drawers, safes or lockboxes, open shelves, refrigerators?
First, you’re not alone. That’s how many clinics started and prefer working. Yet, it made sense at the time. Now, we have strict DEA security requirements that are actually tightening each year.
To stay compliant with them you need to strengthen the physical security of your controlled substances.
Just look what potential security issues your clinic may face when dealing with legacy storage setups:
- It’s impossible to limit who gets an access to your controlled substances (keys can be shared or duplicated)
- No clear trail with timestamps showing who and when opened your storage
- Monitoring inventory levels is often manual and time-consuming
- You won’t notice missing drugs or dosages until the next physical count
- Basic safes or desk drawers do not meet current DEA requirements.
All veterinarians want their storage setups to provide fast, easy access to medications when every second counts. But with the cases of drug diversion and complex federal and state regulations, legacy setups leave clinics unprotected.
Don’t want to be vulnerable and exposed to such nasty things as drug theft, loss, or misuse?
First, let’s begin with the basics. Learn the requirements to physical security of controlled substances in eCFR (Title 21, Chapter II, Part 1301). Briefly, strong storage compliance suggests:
- Effective physical controls — all controlled substances must be kept in a properly locked, solidly constructed safe or lock box at all times if they’re not used.
- Higher storage security for Schedule II drugs — maintain them separately from Schedule III-V drugs
- Authorized access — have an updated list of personnel that always remains accountable for their access to scheduled drugs.
- Additional security measures — alarm systems and surveillance cameras must be installed.
8 Signs You Have Compliant Storage
How can you make sure your storage setup is compliant with CFR security requirements? We’ve created a short checklist to help you figure out whether your storage setup is compliant. If you can’t check all points below, you do need to reconsider your current storage setup:
Regular storage setups are anything but secure. Sure, they’re more familiar and cost-effective but it’s what leaves you unarmed against security breaches.
When a DEA inspector finds a major security issue, it often leads to penalties and hits your practice hard. As of the beginning of 2026, a single infraction of controlled substances security or recordkeeping requirements would cost your practice over $20,000.
Recent mock audits conducted by compliance advisors showed there were at least a dozen of such infractions in an average veterinary hospital. Imagine the total fines your clinic could face after a real DEA inspection.
More Compliant Solutions for Storing Controlled Substances
Over the past few years, many practices have adopted more compliant storage solutions — automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs), standalone safes (e.g., electronic or biometric), and security systems of external vendors.
Still, many vendors offering these solutions either do not integrate with digital controlled substance logbooks, or the integration costs a fortune and is difficult to implement into your busy environment. Even when the initial pricing for an integrated setup seems reasonable, it often comes with long-term, burdensome contracts.
NEW 100% Compliant, Integrated Storage Solution
VetSnap comes with a better alternative — integrated hardware setups. You can integrate a variety of security and storage hardware from reliable vendors with your logbook. Safes, key lockers, ADCs or hardware of any size and type — you choose the setup that best suits your practice.
We help you design an affordable storage setup that fits ideally into the clinic’s workflow. It will feel natural and efficient while part of work is also automated — all storage data will be automatically added to your logbook.
What Makes VetSnap Hardware Setups Most Efficient?
VetSnap digital logbook seamlessly integrates with all connected storage and security solutions. Think of it as a nexus between digital logging and physical access. With VetSnap, hardware access events are automatically linked to your digital logbook, allowing you to monitor unusual activities in real time. This gives you full control over your controlled substances while simplifying physical counts and reconciliations.
Compliance becomes much easier when everything that happens in your storage automatically shows up in your records. VetSnap’s integrated system ensures better oversight, complete traceability of controlled substances, and full visibility of all access events. As a result, you can achieve stronger compliance and confidence during unexpected DEA audits.
VetSnap lets you create any flexible setup that works best for your practice. You can start with the storage hardware you have, protecting them with our igloohome smart keyboxes. Or you can gradually replace some old safes and cabinets with our Smart Lockers or ADCs. For an extra layer of protection, you can also add our Smart Cameras that will also be integrated with your VetSnap digital logbook and storage solutions.
With VetSnap hardware, it’s a one-time purchase at prices well below current market rates. You get a clear contract with no long-term commitments. Plus, you can choose the specific security or storage options that best fit your budget and needs.
VetSnap Storage and Security Hardware Setups
All VetSnap hardware is complemented and easily managed through our integrated digital logbook. The choice of VetSnap hardware allows to make a setup that fully aligns with your current practice budget and expectations:
Smart Lockers
A next-gen storage (6- and 14-bay) with remote monitoring and control, access auditability, and backup keys.
Advanced Automated Dispensing Cabinet (ADC)
Multi-layered access ADCs allow retrieving controlled substances faster.
Smart Cameras
More accessible video surveillance to monitor unusual activities in a clinic.
Vaultek MX Series Safes
A Wi-Fi enabled Smart Safe that is fully integrated with a digital logbook and paired up with the rest of VetSnap hardware.
Igloohome Smart Keybox 3
A smart lock that you can use to protect your current safes and fridges if you don’t want or need to change your current setup.
Final Thoughts
When picking your perfect hardware setup, look for an integrated ecosystem. Everything that happens in your storage should be visible in your digital logbook.
That’s exactly what VetSnap offers to its clients.
Ready to make the right choice and store your controlled substances properly?
Go learn more by booking a quick call below.