Online Pharmacies and Prescription Policies

We highly recommend specific internet pharmacies, including MY VET ONLINE, and VETCENTRIC, should you want to pursue other sources for medications. Fees charged from these pharmacies may be more or LESS than Pet Meds Express and other internet retailers (check shipping fees, etc.), and manufacturer warantees will be honored through these pharmacies.

The following pertains to prescription requests for internet prescription requests:

Clients will be permitted one free prescription per pet per six months. Since we do not deal directly with these retailers, you will need to do the following:

1. Pick up your prescription at the hospital
2. Send this prescription to to the internet retailer yourself
3. Communicate about shipment of medications directly with the retailer. We will not be involved in shipping problems, product failures, client satisfaction issues, product warantees, or any issues which arise as a result of purchase from Pet Meds Express and other internet retailers.
4. Should your pet have a health problem arising from any medications obtained from these sources, please be aware that many of these products, including heartworm medication, flea and tick medication, and many other medications, are intended for distribution and sale exclusively through Licensed Veterinarians.

As such, all manufacturer warantees for effectiveness and safety are voided when these products are purchased through other, non- approved channels. We are concerned for your pet's safety, first and foremost. Counterfeit medications have appeared on the internet on several occasions (remember all of the recent health problems associated with altered and counterfeit medications in the world in the past few years. These are valid concerns for both human physicians, and Veterinarians. A reliable and genuine source for medications, obtained through proper distribution channels, can help to ensure that the medications we prescribe are effective and safe).

4. Additional prescription requests through a local pharmacy, Myvetonline, Vetcentric, and the hospital are at no charge to our clients. Additional requests for prescriptions through these other internet retailers will carry an administrative fee of $6, to offset our administrative costs.

We hope you will check the FDA websites for information on recent government sanctions and fines of Pet Meds Express and other internet retailers to understand our reluctance to recommend these retailers for your pet's medications.

WE WANT YOU TO KNOW:

Our clients always have the option of having a prescription filled at an Internet Pharmacy.  However, because some Internet pharmacies have dubious business practices, we will need a direct request from you with the name of the Internet Pharmacy and what prescription drugs your pet needs.  In order to process a prescription the law requires that a veterinarian must have seen your pet within the past year.  Depending on the patient's medical condition and medication prescribed, this time frame may be shorter.  If the Internet pharmacy is a safe and ethical provider of pharmacy drugs we will ask you to give them our contact information.  They will contact us for approval and then the order can be filled and shipped to you.  This process is a little more involved than the TV advertisements would have you believe, but there are other important reasons why we feel that an Internet Pharmacy is not always the best choice for our clients and patients.

WHY THE ANIMAL HOSPITAL OF IVY SQUARE'S ON-SITE  PHARMACY OR ON-LINE PHARMACY IS YOUR BEST CHOICE:

PRICE
Internet Pharmacies are not always the cheapest source for medication.  Our price for most items is typically less than most Internet Pharmacies would charge.  In addition, some medications are temperature sensitive and require next day or 2nd day air delivery, which adds to the cost.  Prescriptions sometimes need a signature on delivery, so you need to be home to receive the shipment.

REBATES
Our veterinary practice also passes on manufacture's promotions and/or rebates and these frequently result in greater savings.  These rebates are not usually available from online stores or catalogs.

CONVENIENCE
Using an Internet pharmacy means a delay in getting your medication.  It typically takes 1-2 days for the online pharmacy to contact us and process the prescription, then there's a 2-5 day shipping time.

SAFETY
Any prescription medication purchased from our hospital has been inspected and approved by the FDA, and manufactured and packaged according to U.S. government regulations.  Medications purchased online may have been purchased outside the United States and have different strengths and labeling than U.S. products.  sometimes you can tell by checking the label.  If approved by the FDA, it should say, "Caution:  Federal law restricts this drug to be used by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian".  Do not use products that do not have this warning or if the label has been removed.

GUARANTEE
Pharmaceutical manufactures will only honor product guarantees when the medications are prescribed by and purchased from the pet's veterinarian.  Internet and mail-order catalogs, do not qualify for these guarantees.

INSURANCE
Pet Insurance companies require that all prescriptions be FDA approved.  If you have pet health insurance you may be reimbursed on medications when purchased from a legal online pharmacy.  You will be required to provide a copy of the Internet pharmacy's invoice.  When you purchase a prescription from our hospital there is no additional paperwork.  Our hospital office will itemize your prescriptions all on one invoice for easy submission to your insurance company.

EDUCATION

Every week representatives from companies like Bayer, Pfizer, Novartis, Merial, and others visit our office.  These representatives have access to the latest data and research, and are a valuable source of up-to-the minute information.  In addition, our staff regularly attends veterinary conferences and reads the latest veterinary medical journals and research papers.  We stay up-to-date on the latest disease trends in our region and stay abreast of recent advances in veterinary medicine.  However, our first source of information about products and treatment protocols are the representatives.  Because we offer a full-service dispensing pharmacy on site and on-line, hates representatives make a point of visiting our hospital frequently.

http://myvetdirect.com/