DES MOINES, Iowa ( Iowa Capital Dispatch ) - State regulators have opted not to revoke the license of a southern Iowa veterinarian accused of unlawfully dispensing significant quantities of a controlled substance and then blocking an investigation into his conduct.

On Oct. 2, 2025, the Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine issued an emergency order indefinitely suspending the license of veterinarian Jerry Couchman, 80, who practices in and around Appanoose and Decatur counties.

At the time, the board charged Couchman with five counts of violating laws and administrative rules governing veterinary medicine, and alleged his conduct posed an immediate danger to the public health, safety and welfare.

According to the board, the disciplinary charges stemmed from a report received from a drug d

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