Written Prescription Warning
At Animal Medical Center of Troy, it is our policy to take every possible step to ensure that our patients receive the very best pharmaceutical products available. Veterinarians are required to have a valid client/ patient/ veterinarian relationship in order to prescribe certain medications. We carry a number of prescription products, veterinary ‘prescription diets’ and products labeled by the manufacturer as ‘for sale by licensed veterinarians only’. We try to keep our prices within reason, but as a business, we have costs to cover to provide the products and product use information to you. For these reasons, have established the following prescription policy.
If you wish, we will gladly write prescriptions for your pet in lieu of selling them here so that you have a choice in where you have your prescriptions filled. We do, however, wish for your decision to be an informed decision, and want you to know several things regarding prescription sales through some other sources:
1. All major manufacturers (Novartis, Pfizer, Bayer, Merial, etc) of veterinary-specific products (Interceptor®, Sentinel®, Frontline®, Rimadyl®, and Revolution® to name a few) maintain a policy of sales exclusively through licensed veterinarians.
2. Catalogue/online sources cannot obtain specific veterinary products directly from the manufacturer. They have been known to twist their words about where they obtained their product. They may report the product is from X manufacturer. They will not say they purchased from the manufacturer or divulge from whom they are purchasing their veterinary specific products.
3. Sales of these products/medications are through non-approved channels.
4. Guarantees that manufacturers make regarding their products are null and void if their products are obtained through non-approved channels. This includes the guarantee reimbursement programs for flea control, as well as all heartworm and intestinal parasite claims.
5. Counterfeit products have been produced and sold by online sources and other retailers.
6. PetMedExpress has deceptive advertising, as many times our prices are LOWER than or comparable to their prices.
7. Discount houses have been cited by the FDA and State Boards of Pharmacy for violating prescribing procedures. PetMedExpress (a.k.a. SaveMax), in particular, was recently fined over $100,000.00 by the FDA and Florida Department of Health. The Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and the Texas Pharmacy Board have also recently sued this particular discount house.
8. Pharmaceuticals manufactured and labeled for use in other countries (namely Australia) have been illegally diverted and sold through these discount houses in the United States.
9. Rebates on Sentinel and Interceptor, coupons on Rimadyl, and free product with Revolution and Frontline are available only through your veterinarian, these offers will further lower our price.
10. Shipping charges, delays, mis-shipments, and damaged products are several of the reasons that many clients feel that the hassles of dealing with the catalogue houses are not worth the savings.
If you prefer to purchase your products at catalogue/online houses, we will gladly write prescriptions for these products according to the following guidelines:
1. All state and federal prescribing laws apply the same as if you purchase it here. (Some of the discount houses have not always followed the federal and/or state laws, but trust them at your own risk.)
2. To avoid any potential doctor-patient confidentiality issues, we will not communicate with the discount house in any form or fashion. We will not fax, or return faxes to them. We will not accept their phone calls.
3. Check the medications expiration date! Often the medication is short dated, expiring before you have used all the medication. It is your responsibility to ensure that the prescription is sent, filled, labeled, shipped, and used correctly. The discount houses have a reputation for poor customer service, and we cannot be expected to take the time to oversee their operations and shortcomings. We cannot be responsible if they send counterfeit or unauthorized products to you.
We will not become involved in any product failure issues for products purchased through these discount houses. This includes any prescription or nonprescription products.
If you change your mind after we have written a prescription ‘script’ for you, we will be unable to fill the prescription for you here until you return the actual prescription form to us.