A licensed Iowa veterinarian who wrote Tramadol prescriptions for fake dogs in order to obtain the controlled substance at local pharmacies pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Kristi Michelle Schreiber, age 42, from Dubuque, Iowa, was convicted of one count of acquiring a controlled substance by means of misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge.
At the plea hearing and in a plea agreement, Schreiber admitted she is a licensed veterinarian in the State of Iowa and practices as an associate veterinarian at a pet clinic in Dubuque. From no later than February 2019 through at least February 2021, Schreiber wrote false and fraudulent prescriptions for Tramadol for dogs that did not exist or were not necessary. Tramadol is a Schedule IV controlled substance. Tramadol is a centrally acting opioid analgesic used to treat moderate pain. According to the American Kennel Club, Tramadol is a medication that veterinarians commonly prescribe to manage pain in dogs, and it is one of the few human painkillers that is safe to administer to dogs.