Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has become
aware of cases in which veterinarians are told, incorrectly, that they
must provide a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number for prescriptions they have written to be dispensed. The agency has issued
a clarification, stressing that veterinarians do not meet the regulatory
definition of “health care provider,” and thus may not obtain NPI
numbers. The clarification also states that “Any entity that insists
veterinarians obtain an NPI [is] attempting to require veterinarians
to obtain NPIs fraudulently.” CMS also notes that “if a veterinarian
fulfills the definition of ‘health care provider’ in a profession other
than furnishing veterinary services,” such as if they are also a nurse
practitioner, “the veterinarian would be eligible for an NPI but would
select a Nurse Practitioner code (not a Veterinarian code) from the
Healthcare Provider Taxonomy Code Set when applying for an NPI.”
Quoted from the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy November 2013 Newsletter