Vet prescribes pain meds for fake dogs to use herself

CEDAR RAPIDS — An Iowa veterinarian, who prescribed opioid analgesics used for pain to fake dogs in order to take the drugs herself, pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court.

Kristi Michelle Schreiber, 42, of Dubuque, was convicted of one count of acquiring a controlled substance by means of misrepresentation, fraud, deception and subterfuge.

According to a plea agreement, Schreiber admitted that as a licensed veterinarian at a pet clinic in Dubuque, she wrote fraudulent prescriptions for Tramadol for dog patients that didn’t exist or didn’t need the drugs from February 2019 through February 2021.

Tramadol is a centrally acting opioid analgesic used to treat moderate pain, according to court documents. Veterinarians commonly prescribe it to manage pain in dogs, and it is one of the few human painkillers that is safe for dogs, according to the American Kennel Club.

In March 2021, a pharmacy chain in Dubuque reported Schreiber diverting the drugs to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA conducted an inspection of the pet clinic where Schreiber worked and requested the files for some of the canine patients, but she couldn’t produce all the files, according to court documents.

Schreiber falsely told the DEA that some of the dogs were animals of “close friends” and that she would “pick up (prescriptions) for friends and family because I want to make sure the dog gets it.” Schreiber later admitted she took all the Tramadol herself.

The investigation revealed that between March 10, 2019, and March 9, 2021, Schreiber issued 266 prescriptions for animals under her care. Of those, about 186 were for Tramadol HCL 50mg tablets.

U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams will sentence Schreiber after a presentencing report is prepared. Schreiber was released on bond pending sentencing.

She faces up to four years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release following any prison term.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Vavricek and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Control Division.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com