---
title: Manage Drug Usage Transactions
slug: help/en-us/dairycomp/cowcare-drug-usage
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-01-26T11:43:19.802Z
---

Use the Drug Usage page in CowCare to review, edit, and approve drug usage transactions. Open **CowCare **and then click on the **Drug Usage** tab to open the Drug Usage page:

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/WRnOgyqCvx2kTfgFghtiu_drug-usage-window.png" size="32" width="1545" height="596" position="flex-start" darkWidth="1545" darkHeight="596" showCaption="false"}

Expand the topics below to learn more:

:::ExpandableHeading{isOpen="true"}
## Drug Usage Toolbar and Shortcuts

Use the toolbar at the top of the Drug Usage page and keyboard shortcuts to complete quick actions.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/eaoCb5xsJ17X498lodh8e_drug-usage-toolbar.png" size="32" width="1261" height="235" position="flex-start" darkWidth="1261" darkHeight="235" showCaption="false"}

See the guidelines below for some pointers on using the page's shortcuts:

- Hover over each button to see its action. Here are some examples:
  - :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/iG5G5X1QLhcx-TQlbPpON_button-selectdeliverydoc22x25.png" alt caption size="10" width="22" height="25"} <font color="#67854E">**Select Delivery Doc\:** </font>Click to select the delivery doc/drug lot for the selected transaction.
  - :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/EfUvnECBrCLix_snqfoN8_button-editusage23x25.png" alt caption size="10" width="23" height="25"}****<font color="#67854E">**Edit Usage\:**</font> Click to edit the values in a treatment. You can edit details like the dosage, how many days the drugs should be administered, and how long the milk or meat withhold will last.
  - :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/it1UZQn2zjKXmtduM_GOn_button-editprotocols22x25.png" alt caption size="10" width="22" height="25"}****<font color="#67854E">**Alter Protocols\:**</font> Click to open the [Protocol screen screen](docId\:VVDDiRtg6wk5LOJGMKG-j) to see protocol details for the selected transaction.
  - :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/Shz856Mcup94OmkQWBrWZ_button-reassignid23x20.png" alt caption size="10" width="23" height="20"}****<font color="#67854E">**Reassign Cow ID\:**</font> Click to open the [cow ID reassignment tool](docId\:VVDDiRtg6wk5LOJGMKG-j). &#x20;
  - :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/U8CYb2cieagDLEI8clxk0_button-gotoinventory21x25.png" alt caption size="10" width="21" height="25"}****<font color="#67854E">**Goto Inventory\:** </font>Click to open the [Inventory screen screen](docId:2tFjp7Sy-tTqYHnVzfRMH) and see inventory details for the selected transaction.
  - :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/_TUhEMS11CXV0Y27ZpaQd_button-opencowcard27x25.png" alt caption size="10" width="27" height="25"}****<font color="#67854E">**Open CowCard\:**</font> Click to open the selected animal's [CowCard](docId:4FlckrZg9SH1PCzt0xy74).
- Note the following keyboard shortcuts:
  - <font color="#67854E">**Open a Cowcard\:**</font> Press the **F2** key.
  - <font color="#67854E">**Print a Drug Usage report\:**</font> Press the **F5** key.
  - <font color="#67854E">**Export a Drug Usage report**</font>: Press the **F6** key.
:::

:::ExpandableHeading{isOpen="true"}
## Search and Filter Drug Usage Transactions

Use **Search and Filter** to manage the transactions you see in the Drug Usage list. See the guidelines below for some pointers on using the search and filter features:

- <font color="#67854E">**Search and Filter**</font>: Click **Search and Filter** at the top left side of the **Drug Usage** tab to select the types of transactions you want to see in the list. You can filter the list by status, pen, protocol name, drug name, etc.
- <font color="#67854E">**Status to Show\:** </font>Select a status from the **Status to Show** drop-down to only see transactions with the chosen status.
- <font color="#67854E">**Search for a Cow\:**</font> In the **Search for a Cow** field, enter the animal ID to see the animal's transactions.
- <font color="#67854E">**Search for Drug Lot\:**</font> In the **Search for Drug Lot** field, enter the drug lot to see transactions that included medication from that drug lot.
:::

:::ExpandableHeading{isOpen="true"}
## Approve a Drug Usage Transaction

Use the options below to approve a drug usage transaction:

- <font color="#67854E">**Approve Selected Transactions**</font>: Right-click on a transaction and select **Approve > Selected** or click the **Approve Selected&#x20;**&#x20;button on the toolbar.
- <font color="#67854E">**Approve All Transactions\:**</font> Right-click on a transaction and select **Approve > All&#x20;**:inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/sBDAm_bcZw8g3HZvtKQ1n_button-saveselected21x25.png" alt caption size="10" width="21" height="25"} or you can click the **Approve All&#x20;**&#x20;button on the toolbar.
- <font color="#67854E">**Automatically Approve All Transactions**</font>: Enable the **Automatically approve current day usages** option in SETUP. Be very cautious if you use this option—if you automatically approve transactions that should not be approved, the system could report negative quantities in the inventory.

Use the guidelines below when approving transactions:

- When you approve a transaction, the system will deduct quantities from each drug assigned to the protocol.
- To move an approved transaction back to **Pending**, right-click the transaction and select **Set to Pending** or click the **Set to Pending** button on the toolbar.
- To approve a transaction, you must select the proper Drug Lot unless you have disabled the **Use CowCare Inventory** option in Settings.
- DairyComp will not approve a transaction for the following reasons:
  - If you enabled the **No usage approval if no inventory** option, the system will not approve the transaction if the drug is not in stock in any Drug Lot. If you have not enabled this option, the system will just select the most recent Drug Lot on file for the transaction.
  - If you enabled the **Don’t approve treatment if missing Delivery Doc** option, then the system will not approve the transaction if the drug is in stock, but there is no Delivery Doc.
:::

:::ExpandableHeading{isOpen="true"}
## Edit a Drug Usage Transaction

To edit a transaction, right-click the transaction and select **Edit Usage** or click the **Edit Usage&#x20;**&#x20;button on the toolbar. Make your edits and save your changes:

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/7Dz73lnNV86SA4W0qigk1_drug-usage-edit-usage.png" size="32" width="830" height="273" position="flex-start" darkWidth="830" darkHeight="273" showCaption="false"}

You can also edit multiple transactions at the same time if you select multiple transactions that use the same drug. Hold your **Shift** or **Ctrl** key and click on the transactions you want to edit at the same time.
:::

:::::ExpandableHeading{isOpen="true" customAnchorSlug="Reassign"}
## Reassign or Delete Open Treatments for a Cow ID

Sometimes, a cow's ID may change, or a treatment might have been mistakenly entered for an incorrect cow ID. CowCare provides a dedicated tool to manage this situation, allowing you to reassign treatments to a different cow ID or disable open treatments entirely.

:::hint{type="warning"}
<font color="#F97316">**IMPORTANT\:** </font>This functionality applies only to open (unapproved) drug usage transactions. Treatments that have already been approved are part of the CowCare audit trail and cannot be changed or reassigned using this tool.
:::

There are two ways you can open the Cow ID reassignment tool. First, select the applicable animal from the transaction list, and then:

- Right-click on the transaction and select **Reassign CowID on Open Treatments** from the action menu.
- Or, select the Cow ID reassignment tool button :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/Shz856Mcup94OmkQWBrWZ_button-reassignid23x20.png" alt caption size="10" width="23" height="20"} on the toolbar.

The **Reassign/Disable Cow ID** window then displays:

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/3h8pSJcGUXEi4HGCCYPTA/jdolMOweeFSiMILm4Xn0a_reassign-cow-id.png" size="32" width="456" height="287" darkWidth="456" darkHeight="287" position="flex-start" showCaption="false"}

::::WorkflowBlock
:::WorkflowBlockItem
**Old Cow ID to ReAssign:** This field automatically shows the ID for the cow you selected from the transaction list (though you can change this ID manually). This could be an ID that no longer exists or was entered by mistake.
:::

:::WorkflowBlockItem
**New Cow ID:** Enter the ID of the cow to which you want the open treatments reassigned.
:::

:::WorkflowBlockItem
**Number of open treatments:** This field shows the number of currently open treatments for the selected cow.
:::

:::WorkflowBlockItem
**ReAssign Cow ID:** Click this button to reassign all the currently open treatments to the new cow ID.
:::

:::WorkflowBlockItem
**Disable Treatments:** Click this button to disable all currently open treatments for the selected cow ID.
:::
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