Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer found mixed with opioids, classified as a controlled substance in Pennsylvania

Xylazine, the animal tranquilizer that has been found mixed with opioids in most of the United States, will soon be be classified as a controlled substance in Pennsylvania. 

It will be a Schedule III drug, meaning that it is considered a substance with a "moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence," the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) says on its website. The decision allows law enforcement to prosecute people for illegally possessing and selling the drug, but Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said that veterinarians will still be able to access it for work reasons. 

According to Shapiro, the decision to schedule the drug will allow the state to require tighter record keeping and have the drug be stored in secure facilities, to limit theft and diversion. Manufacturers will also have to add additional checks to verify the person who ordered the drug is the one receiving it, and confirm that that person is authorized to receive the substance.