Dr. Tiffany Delacruz, DVM • Chief Executive Officer, RexVet • 2026-07-24 • 7 min read

Online Vet Prescription Refills in Florida, New York and Virginia: What a Video Visit Can and Can't Do

Creator: Dr. Tiffany Delacruz, DVM
Published: 2026-07-24
Keywords: pet health, online vet prescription refills in florida, new york and virginia: what a video visit can and can't do, pet care article

Can an online vet refill your pet's prescription? Florida caps video-only prescriptions at 14 days with no renewal. The FL, NY and VA rules, as of October 2026.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Tiffany Delacruz, DVM

Key takeaways

A RexVet vet can't refill another vet's prescription. Refills are authorized by the vet who wrote the prescription. After a live video exam, a RexVet vet can write a new prescription only if they decide it is appropriate and your state's rules allow it.
Florida: In Florida, a veterinarian who has seen your pet only by video may prescribe only FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled, for up to 14 days (1 month for flea-and-tick-only products), and cannot renew without an in-person exam.
Virginia: the exam can be done electronically and the state sets no telehealth day-supply cap, but the vet decides case by case, and federal rules require an in-person exam before any human or off-label drug.
New York: there is no veterinary telehealth law yet. Whether a first video visit can support a new prescription is unsettled, so plan on an in-person exam for ongoing medication.
Long-term medications run through a vet who has examined your pet in person. For monthly preventives and chronic meds, ask your regular vet's clinic to authorize the refill. A video visit helps with questions, side effects and deciding what to do next.

Can an online vet refill my pet's prescription?

Usually not in the way the word "refill" suggests. A refill is authorized by the veterinarian who wrote the original prescription, so a RexVet vet cannot refill or renew a prescription from your regular vet. What a RexVet vet can do, after a live video exam and only if they decide it is appropriate, is write a new prescription under your state's rules. In Florida that means an FDA-approved animal drug used as labeled, for up to 14 days (1 month for flea-and-tick-only products), with no renewal without an in-person exam. A prescription is never guaranteed. For other states, see the state-by-state guide to online vet prescriptions.

Prescription rules after a video visit, by state (as of October 2026)

Florida (Fla. Stat. 474.2021) — A vet can establish care over live video, not by phone, text or questionnaire. From a video-only relationship the vet may prescribe only FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled: up to 14 days of treatment, or 1 month for products labeled only for flea and tick control. Those prescriptions cannot be renewed without an in-person exam. Human-labeled drugs and compounded antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral or antiparasitic drugs need an in-person exam first; controlled substances need an in-person exam within the past year.
Florida, even if your regular vet saw your pet recently — RexVet applies these limits whenever its vet has seen your pet only by video, even if another vet examined your pet last month. For human-labeled drugs, compounded anti-infectives and controlled substances, the law requires the prescribing vet's own in-person exam.
Virginia (Va. Code 54.1-3303) — A vet may examine your pet physically or electronically, using video, photos and records, and the state sets no telehealth day-supply cap. The vet still decides case by case, and gabapentin is a controlled substance in Virginia.
New York — No veterinary telehealth statute or regulation; a bill (A1782) is still in committee. A New York vet can give advice and follow-up by video, but whether a first video visit can support a new prescription is unsettled, and many vets will want to see your pet in person first.
Every state (21 CFR 530.3) — Using a drug off-label, which includes every human drug given to a pet, requires a veterinarian-client-patient relationship built on an in-person exam or a visit to where the animal is kept.

What a refill-request video visit can cover, if the vet decides it is appropriate

A short course of an FDA-approved animal drug used as labeled — for example Apoquel (dogs 12 months and older), Cerenia tablets (dogs) or an animal-labeled antibiotic. Using one outside its label, such as in a different species, needs an in-person exam. In Florida: up to 14 days, not renewable without an in-person exam.
Products labeled only for flea and tick control — such as NexGard, Simparica or Credelio (not NexGard PLUS, Simparica Trio or Credelio Quattro, which are combination products). In Florida: up to 1 month.
Combination preventives aren't flea-and-tick-only — products that also prevent heartworm or intestinal worms, such as Simparica Trio, fall under Florida's 14-day limit. Heartworm prevention also normally needs a current negative heartworm test, which takes a blood sample at a clinic.
Medication questions — side effects, a missed or doubled dose, whether to keep giving a drug, and what to ask your regular vet. Advice doesn't need a prescription.
A plan for the refill — the vet can tell you whether your regular vet can simply authorize it, or whether your pet needs to be seen in person first.

What needs a vet who examines your pet in person

Renewing a Florida prescription written after a video-only visit — the law requires an in-person exam.
Human-labeled drugs — Trazodone and Prozac are human-labeled drugs, so a veterinarian needs to examine your pet in person before prescribing them. Gabapentin is a human-labeled drug, and a controlled substance in Virginia, so a veterinarian needs to examine your pet in person before prescribing it. Doxycycline is a human-labeled antibiotic, so a veterinarian needs to examine your pet in person before prescribing it.
Controlled substances — such as phenobarbital or alprazolam, which are also human-labeled. RexVet does not prescribe controlled substances by video; Florida law requires an in-person exam within the past year.
Compounded anti-infectives — compounded antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral or antiparasitic medications need an in-person exam in Florida.
Injectables and vaccines — including Cytopoint, Adequan, Convenia, insulin and vaccines. RexVet does not prescribe injectables by video.
Anything that needs a test first — heartworm tests, bloodwork for long-term medications, X-rays, or a new problem that needs a hands-on exam.

How a refill-request visit works

1. Book — pick an open video time. A visit is $64.99, or the Family Plan is a one-time $120 for four visits over 12 months.
2. Have the details ready — the current prescription label, the date of your pet's last in-person exam, recent bloodwork if the drug needs monitoring, and any changes you've noticed.
3. Live video exam — the vet reviews the history and tells you plainly what can be handled by video under your state's rules. Any prescription is at the vet's discretion.
4. If the vet prescribes — the prescription goes to the pharmacy you choose. A pharmacy transfer fee applies when RexVet sends it, shown before you pay (Terms, section 5.4), and the pharmacy charges separately for the medication.
5. If it can't be done by video — the vet explains why and what to do next, such as asking your regular vet to authorize the refill or booking an in-person exam.

Pharmacy options

Your local pharmacy — many CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and independent pharmacies fill common pet prescriptions, but many don't stock veterinary drugs. Call ahead to confirm before you ask for the prescription to be sent.
Online pet pharmacies — fine for a planned refill, not an urgent one; the pharmacy gives its own shipping estimate.
Your regular vet's clinic — supplies medications it prescribes itself, often the simplest route for an ongoing medication.
RexVet does not stock or ship medications — RexVet writes the prescription; the pharmacy fills it.

When a video visit saves you a trip, and when it doesn't

It can save a trip for questions about a current medication, side effects, a short course of an FDA-approved animal drug, or deciding whether your pet needs to be seen at all.
It won't replace the in-person exam for an ongoing medication in Florida that has to be renewed, any human-labeled or controlled drug, or a preventive that needs a heartworm test.
The cheapest route for a chronic medication is often your regular vet's clinic authorizing the refill without a new exam, if your pet has been seen recently. Ask them first.

About Dr. Tiffany Delacruz — Chief Executive Officer

Refill-request visits are with Dr. Tiffany Delacruz, DVM, who is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Florida, New York, and Virginia. RexVet is a 501(c)(3) veterinary telehealth non-profit (Rex Vets Inc., EIN 33-2469898).

Emergency signals

When to contact a veterinarian

Any new symptom, not just a refill request — book a visit about the symptom
A bad reaction to the current medication — have your pet evaluated before giving more
Trouble breathing, collapse, a seizure or a possible poisoning — go to an emergency hospital now, not a video visit
Missed rechecks on a long-term medication — an in-person exam is needed to keep the prescription going

Book a telehealth visit

Frequently asked questions

Can an online vet refill a prescription from my regular vet?

No. Only the vet who wrote a prescription can authorize its refills. A RexVet vet can write a new prescription after their own video exam, if they decide it is appropriate and your state's rules allow it. For an ongoing medication, the simplest route is usually to ask your regular vet's clinic to authorize the refill.

How long can a Florida online vet prescription last?

In Florida, a veterinarian who has seen your pet only by video may prescribe only FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled, for up to 14 days (1 month for flea-and-tick-only products), and cannot renew without an in-person exam. RexVet applies that even if your regular vet examined your pet recently.

Can a RexVet vet renew the prescription when it runs out?

In Florida, not without an in-person exam. In Virginia the vet decides case by case. In New York the rules are unsettled, so plan on an in-person exam for ongoing medication.

Can I get heartworm prevention refilled online?

Usually not by video alone. Heartworm preventives aren't flea-and-tick-only products, so a Florida prescription after a video-only visit is limited to 14 days, and heartworm prevention normally needs a current negative heartworm test, which takes a blood sample at a clinic. See can I get heartworm prevention online?

Can you refill controlled substances like phenobarbital?

No. RexVet does not prescribe controlled substances by video, and in Florida the prescribing vet must have examined your pet in person within the past year. Your regular vet handles those refills.

Can the vet change my pet's dose by video?

The vet can talk through side effects and whether a dose change makes sense. A new dose is a new prescription, so in Florida the same limits apply: FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled, up to 14 days, no renewal without an in-person exam. A dose outside the label range is off-label, which needs an in-person exam in any state. Drugs that need bloodwork monitoring may need tests first.

Will I definitely get a prescription?

No. Any prescription is at the veterinarian's discretion after the video exam. If medication isn't appropriate by video, the vet will explain why and what to do next.

Do you take pet insurance?

You pay RexVet directly. Some pet insurance plans reimburse virtual exam fees when you file a claim; check your policy before you book.

Continue reading

Related guides

Get Apoquel Prescription Online — $64.99 FL, NY & VA Licensed Vets | RexVet

Apoquel for dogs in Florida, New York and Virginia. Licensed DVMs review by $64.99 video visit and prescribe Apoquel when it is appropriate.

Get Simparica Trio Prescription Online — $64.99 FL, NY & VA Licensed Vets | RexVet

Simparica Trio for dogs in Florida, New York and Virginia. Licensed DVMs prescribe the monthly flea, tick and heartworm chewable when suitable.

Get NexGard Prescription Online — $64.99 FL, NY & VA Licensed Vets | RexVet

NexGard for dogs in Florida, New York and Virginia. Licensed DVMs prescribe the monthly flea and tick chewable by $64.99 video when suitable.

About the author

Dr. Tiffany Delacruz, DVM

Chief Executive Officer, RexVet

Licensed veterinarian and CEO of RexVet (Rex Vets Inc.). Practicing across Florida, New York, and Virginia via licensed telehealth. Reviews every clinical article on RexVet before publication.

Full bio + credentials →