I just read an article in one of the newest "Veterinary Economics" magazines, which made me sit up and take notice. You may or may not have heard of the "Fairness to Pet Owners Act" now floating around the U.S. House of Representatives. I can think of other names for it, and none of them are good!
This bill would require veterinarians to give clients "written" prescriptions for pet medications, whether or not the veterinarian is dispensing the medication. This bill is bad news for a number of reasons.
First of all, let me say that the doctors here at the Cat Clinic have no problem with calling in prescriptions for human drugs that are also used in veterinary medicine, to help clients save on their cats' medications, when appropriate or when compounding is needed. However, there aren't local pharmacy options for veterinary specific drugs. There are only on-line pharmacies, and these can involve a several-day delay for delivery -- not an option for urgent cases, and we are not fans, for several reasons.
There have been cases of online pharmacies shipping the wrong drugs, expired drugs, diverted black-market drugs, or illegally imported drugs. In most cases the drug manufacturers will not support these products if they are diverted through illegal channels. So, for example, suppose the feline heartworm preventive from Cats Are Us Online Pharmacy either fails to protect the cat or causes a serious reaction -- perhaps even death. Either way, the client is out of luck. If the same thing were to happen when the medication was purchased through legitimate channels, most drug companies would foot the bill for treatment.
There have been cases where the pharmacy filled the wrong drug with devastating results. The article in "Vet Economics" recounts an example of a golden retriever who was prescribed carprofen (a veterinary specific NSAID that's FDA-approved especially for dogs.) The owner's pharmacist friend figured that carprofen sounds like flurbiprofen and gave the dog flurbiprofen. The dog ended up with multiple perforating, bleeding stomach ulcers. After 3 transfusions and exploratory surgery, the dog died. Pharmacists DO NOT have training in animal physiology and pharmacology.
Let's hope this misguided attempt to avoid veterinary pharmacy costs ends up in the wastebasket, not the law books. It's best for cats, dogs and owners alike to let veterinarians decide what's best for their patients. We will do all we can to make prescriptions affordable to you, afterall, our foremost goal is seeing that our patients receive the best medical care available.
Cheryl Waterman, CVPM
Hospital Administrator
This bill would require veterinarians to give clients "written" prescriptions for pet medications, whether or not the veterinarian is dispensing the medication. This bill is bad news for a number of reasons.
First of all, let me say that the doctors here at the Cat Clinic have no problem with calling in prescriptions for human drugs that are also used in veterinary medicine, to help clients save on their cats' medications, when appropriate or when compounding is needed. However, there aren't local pharmacy options for veterinary specific drugs. There are only on-line pharmacies, and these can involve a several-day delay for delivery -- not an option for urgent cases, and we are not fans, for several reasons.
There have been cases of online pharmacies shipping the wrong drugs, expired drugs, diverted black-market drugs, or illegally imported drugs. In most cases the drug manufacturers will not support these products if they are diverted through illegal channels. So, for example, suppose the feline heartworm preventive from Cats Are Us Online Pharmacy either fails to protect the cat or causes a serious reaction -- perhaps even death. Either way, the client is out of luck. If the same thing were to happen when the medication was purchased through legitimate channels, most drug companies would foot the bill for treatment.
There have been cases where the pharmacy filled the wrong drug with devastating results. The article in "Vet Economics" recounts an example of a golden retriever who was prescribed carprofen (a veterinary specific NSAID that's FDA-approved especially for dogs.) The owner's pharmacist friend figured that carprofen sounds like flurbiprofen and gave the dog flurbiprofen. The dog ended up with multiple perforating, bleeding stomach ulcers. After 3 transfusions and exploratory surgery, the dog died. Pharmacists DO NOT have training in animal physiology and pharmacology.
Let's hope this misguided attempt to avoid veterinary pharmacy costs ends up in the wastebasket, not the law books. It's best for cats, dogs and owners alike to let veterinarians decide what's best for their patients. We will do all we can to make prescriptions affordable to you, afterall, our foremost goal is seeing that our patients receive the best medical care available.
Cheryl Waterman, CVPM
Hospital Administrator
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