Online pharmacies are popping up more and more frequently, the most popular is 1-800-PetMeds. As a hospital policy, we do not work directly with any online pharmacies. Most manufacturers of veterinary medications do not sell their products to these pharmacies directly. This means that they are being illegally diverted and resold. Drug companies do not stand behind any products that are not directly dispensed by a veterinarian. There is also questionable storage and handling of these medications, which can most certainly affect the stability and efficacy of the drugs.
In order to serve our clients better, we have developed our own pharmacy that can be accessed through our website. All of the medications and products sold through our pharmacy are supported and guaranteed by the original manufacturers. Over the counter products are shipped directly to your door within 3-5 business days. Prescription medication requests are sent to our office for approval and instructions and then mailed to you, usually within 4-6 business days. We know that you will be shocked by how much cheaper things are on websites such as PetMeds, but there surely is a catch. If you wish to use an outside internet/mail order pharmacy, we will issue a written prescription which you may submit to the pharmacy of your choice, releasing our hospital from liability if the product is misbranded and/or causes harm.
We are happy to discuss this policy with you further if you have any questions.
Medications
In accordance with the FDA Compliance Policy Guideline 7132.09 and Health Safety Code Section 11400, we cannot return prescription items. Once these items have left the hospital, we no longer have the assurance of strength, quality, purity or identity of the articles and it is considered dangerous to return these items to shelf stock. Medications may be prescribed or used for your pet which may be “off label use”. This means the FDA may not have yet approved these drugs specifically for use in some species. If the drug has been prescribed it will be designated with an “OLU” on the prescription label. Our doctors welcome any questions in regards to this policy. We require a twenty four (24) hour notice for medication refills.
All of your favorite pet products including special diets, prescription medications, supplements, heartworm and flea prevention and thousands of over-the counter items are available through our online pharmacy and ship right to your front door! The VetsFirstChoice platform is safe, secure and reliable. We only ship from known sources, trusted manufacturers and will always stand behind their guarantees for safety and efficacy.