When your vet prescribes drugs or when you shop online for pet medications, do you know exactly where those drugs are coming from?
Jackson’s Mom recently did some important research about buying pet medications and discovered that
“…97% of the more than 10,000 Web sites analyzed continue to operate out of compliance with US pharmacy laws.”
In this article by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy,
Many Web sites selling prescription drugs are unlicensed, operating illegally, or operating from foreign countries where medicines shipped to the United States are unregulated. Thus, there is no way of knowing whether the medicine you receive is contaminated, sub-potent, super-potent, expired, or counterfeit, or whether it has been stored and shipped under proper conditions to maintain its effectiveness.
Safety is always important but is especially vital when you are asking a pharmacy to custom blend medications for your dog’s unique needs (compounding pharmacies do this).
For your pet’s health, always know where those drugs are coming whether you buy them or your vet does.
Ask your vet where they get their drugs. Then, report back your findings, along with the URL of your vet’s preferred pharmacy, here in this Treatment and Recovery Forum Topic.
Safety Tips for Buying Pet Meds Online
In the meantime, here are some valuable tips from Dr. Jennifer Coates’ PetMD blog “Fully Vetted,” to ensure you receive safe, legal and accurate medications for your dog or cat.
- Choose a US-based company with a U.S. headquarters
- The pharmacy should be licensed by the state in which it physically operates. Research at LegitScript.com.
- Shop at Vet-VIPPS (Veterinary-Verified Internet Practice Pharmacy Sites) pharmacies like National Pet Pharmacy, which is mentioned in this Tripawds Nutrition Blog post. Companies with the VIPPS seal comply with all federal and state regulations and National Association of Boards of Pharmacy safety standards.
- Always buy from pharmacies who require veterinarian-issued prescriptions.
Read more of Dr. Coates tips here.
These are all very good tips! Thanks for the informative post!