AWAREness Is The Key

As many of you know, I write frequently about on-line pharmacies and the potential dangers they pose to the health of our pets if they are unsupervised or mismanaged. Well, I'm happy to tell you that the U.S. FDA has now created a brochure for pet owners outlining the safe and appropriate use of online pharmacies.

This brochure contains excellent suggestions for pet owners wanting to purchase medications online (and I'm sure will help veterinary practice owners sleep better at night). They encourage the following guidelines using the acronym A W A R E:

Ask your veterinarian what he/she thinks about a particular on-line pharmacy before buying medications there. While it's true that purchasing some medications online can save you time and money, your pet's health should always be the number one priority. If you work together with your veterinarian, your pet will benefit. Be careful with pharmacy sites that do not require a prescription or will continue to refill medications even when the prescribing veterinarian has declined the refill. For certain medications, there's an important medical reason to decline the refill (the pet's health status must be evaluated periodically by physical exams or blood panels). Most veterinarians will allow refills for up to  6 months (although there are exceptions for many drugs). Also, beware of sites that have no physical address or are not located in the U.S.

Watch for red flags. Things to look for include: pharmacies that send unusual looking, broken, or previously opened bottles; medications with a different name than the one prescribed; and any other things that seem unusual.

Ask about the pharmacy's accreditation. Before purchasing, check to see if the pharmacy follows the guidelines for accreditation. They must be accredited by Vet Vipps (Veterinary Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites).

Report any problems with a medication and any suspicious behavior to the FDA. Accredited online pharmacies are required to follow certain protocols and this includes monitoring a medicine's side effects or other problems.

Educate yourself about online pharmacies. The good news is that by reading this blog, you've already done just that! Do any of you have other ideas or things to look for? I'm curious.

Obviously, following these guidelines won't eliminate all potential dangers completely but it's certainly a giant step in the right direction. Isn't it great when you can let go of some of your stress and worry (even a small amount)? Whew!.... I feel better already!

--Dana

Comments

[Laurel]

I was at my vet's the other day and bought all my supplies from him...why? Because he was honest with me and said his practice had had a rough year financially. He told me how much he appreciated my business and loyalty and consistent care of my pets, even during tight times. He also told me he was holding his prices rather than raising them to attempt to make up for his losses. He said, "I never want you to feel that I'm twisting your arm or trying to convince you to buy something you don't need. But, I do want you to know that, if you do decide to get this for your dog, our prices here are competitive and you have the advantage of one-stop-shopping."

That was enough for me. I got them from my vet.

Thanks, Dana. I'm glad to have guidelines and I think, even though vets don't like to be in a position of marketing their services, it does help to be educated about my financial choices, as well as my medical choices.

[Tammy]

You know - as much as I do on the internet (and that's a LOT) I have never even thought about ordering pet meds online. It just doesn't occur to me to do that. I trust my veterinarian, so I'd rather rely on them for what they prescribe for my kitties! It seems to me like the right (and smart) thing to do!

[Dana]

It's interesting how people have such diverse opinions about this but then again...we are talking about money. Laurel, you just made me aware of a very good article about the dangers of on-line pharamcies and how the FDA is taking a more active role. Having the FDA intervene adds credibility to the problem and shows that it's not just unhappy veterinarians who are upset because of losing practice income. Click on www.petmd.com/ and go the "Tackling On-Line Pharmacies" article.

[turtlecookie]

Thanks for the tips, Dana. I have never even c onsidered buying my pets meds online. When I get them from my vet, I know they are exaactly the right one, and I can get them on the spot. I can see, possibly, if I had a pet with a chronic condition, that I might investigate online pharmacies to compare prices and assure that I could afford to give my pet(s) the meds they need. And even then, it's not automatic that I'd go online. Generally, I prefer to support my vet by buying meds through the clinic.

Turtlecookie