DISPENSED MEDICATIONS FROM THE CLINIC OR ONLINE SOURCES CANNOT BE RETURNED

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) only permits the transfer of Schedule II-V drug from one DEA registrant to another DEA registrant. Because the patient/client is not a DEA registrant, he may not transfer a Schedule II-V drug to anyone except during a drug take-back event wherein law enforcement receives the drug from the patient/client for destruction purposes only. Violations of this requirement can result in DEA imposing on the veterinarian a $10,000 fine per incident.

§ 54.1-3411.1. Prohibition on returns, exchanges, or re-dispensing of drugs; exceptions.

A. Drugs dispensed to persons pursuant to a prescription shall not be accepted for return or exchange for the purpose of re-dispensing by any pharmacist or pharmacy after such drugs have been removed from the pharmacy premises from which they were dispensed except:

1. In a hospital with an on-site hospital pharmacy wherein drugs may be returned to the pharmacy in accordance with practice standards;

2. In such cases where official compendium storage requirements are assured (not out of the possession of the clinic or doctor) and the drugs are in manufacturers' original sealed containers or in sealed individual dose or unit dose packaging that meets official compendium class A or B container requirements, or better, and such return or exchange is consistent with federal law; or

3. When a dispensed drug has not been out of the possession of a delivery agent of the pharmacy.

B. The Board of Pharmacy shall promulgate regulations to establish a Prescription Drug Donation Program for accepting unused previously dispensed prescription drugs that meet the criteria set forth in subdivision A 2, for the purpose of re-dispensing such drugs to indigent patients, either through hospitals, or through clinics organized in whole or in part for the delivery of health care services to the indigent. Such program shall not authorize the donation of Schedule II-V controlled substances if so prohibited by federal law. No drugs shall be re-dispensed unless the integrity of the drug can be assured.

C. Unused prescription drugs dispensed for use by persons eligible for coverage under Title XIX or Title XXI of the Social Security Act, as amended, may be donated pursuant to this section unless such donation is prohibited.

D. A pharmaceutical manufacturer shall not be liable for any claim or injury arising from the storage, donation, acceptance, transfer, or dispensing of any drug provided to a patient, or any other activity undertaken in accordance with a drug distribution program established pursuant to this section.

E. Nothing in this section shall be construed to create any new or additional liability, or to abrogate any liability that may exist, applicable to a pharmaceutical manufacturer for its products separately from the storage, donation, acceptance, transfer, or dispensing of any drug provided to a patient in accordance with a drug distribution program established pursuant to this section.

OUTSIDE ONLINE PHARMACY POLICY

Veterinary Dermatology and Allergy Service

** As of September 1, 2019**

The Dermatology and Allergy Service (Dr. Ian Brett Spiegel) will no longer deal directly with and/or authorize faxed prescriptions from online pharmacies (e.g., 1-800-PET-MEDS, Chewy, Allivet, PetSmart, Walmart, PetCareRx, KV Supply, Valley Vet Supply, VetRxDirect, Heartland Veterinary Supply, California Pet Pharmacy, etc.). If received, we will no longer respond to the requests. We will try (not guaranteed) to reach out to you to either fulfill the refill request from one of our clinics, approve a refill through our online option, provide a written prescription for pick-up (or mail to you), or communicate with your veterinarian to authorize a prescription/refill from your veterinarian's office.

As you already know, the primary reason these pharmacies exist has been to provide commonly dispensed veterinary products at lower costs than local veterinarians. We understand why this is important to pet owners, particularly when your pet needs chronic medications. The cost is something we take very seriously and we do everything we can to keep the cost of medications as low as possible. In most cases, the costs of our medications are the same or even less than many of these pharmacies. You have the option to obtain medications from your veterinarian, the Dermatology and Allergy Service (VSEC, Animerge, GSVS) or our own online pharmacy option where we approve the request directly (much quicker and smoother process).

It is very difficult to manage the numerous requests received on a daily basis. For every request, a member of the staff must review the request, review the chart/discharge paperwork, have a doctor approve and sign the script, fax the script and confirm that it was received. It has become too time consuming to manage all of the repeated faxes and telephone calls with numerous different pharmacies every day. Many of the requests come from pharmacies that are not well known, so Dr. Spiegel and his staff no longer feel comfortable working with these pharmacies.

As always, we will continue to provide a written prescription for clients either in person/pick-up at the clinic or via mail upon request. We will consider faxing prescriptions on a case by case basis, but this is not a service that we will routinely be able to provide. The turnaround time for receiving a written prescription by mail (USPS) may take up to 5-7 days from the time of the initial request. The prescriptions can be filled for you from any online pharmacy of your choice (you will deal with the pharmacy directly), your veterinarian, our clinic, or retail pharmacies such as Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, CostCo, Rite Aid, Supermarkets, etc. You will be responsible for contacting these pharmacies as we no longer have the time to call several pharmacies to determine the prices and if they have the medication in stock. We will continue to call in prescriptions to compounding pharmacies.

It is imperative that you give us ample notice so that you do not run out of any medication prior to the time that you are able to get the refill. However, should this occur, we will call in enough of your medication to your primary care veterinarian or dispense enough medication to carry you through until your medication arrives from the pharmacy of your choice.

There are several reasons why we want you to be aware of why using discount online pharmacies may not be as good as it initially appears. When medications are ordered from discount exclusive online pharmacies, it is difficult to monitor the medications used. The dosing instructions are often incorrect and there is a risk of inadvertent changes in dosage, brand used, or frequency of administration without authorization. Some of the online pharmacies will dispense prescription items/medications without veterinary approval, stock counterfeit products, use short-dated or expired products, recalled products and products that originated from third parties (diverters) with unregulated storage and shipping conditions (e.g. excessive heat or cold or lack of refrigeration when required). While most of the reputable online pharmacies likely take measures to avoid such problems, there are still these risks when purchasing products from discount exclusive online pharmacy options.

We encourage you to purchase your medications or products directly from a veterinarian. Veterinary pharmaceutical companies do not provide support in the event of an adverse event when their product is purchased online. Manufacturer rebate programs are not valid unless the product is purchased through a veterinarian (rebates are available through our online pharmacy). Most of the pharmacists or employees at these pharmacies have minimal or no training in veterinary medicine and have minimal knowledge about medications specific for animals. This makes the staff at these pharmacies unable to determine whether there are drug interactions or if there has been a mistake in filling the prescription based on a phoned in prescription or faxed prescription that may not have been clear.

We suggest going to https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/how-buy-medicines-safely-online-pharmacy in order to learn how to evaluate the legitimacy of an online pharmacy.

Thank you for your understanding.

Allergens/Additional Products - ORDER

You may still obtain refills directly through the your Veterinarian, the Dermatology and Allergy Service at VSEC, Animerge, or GSVS. Please call us as usual.

SOME PRODUCTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE

DERMATOLOGY ONLINE PHARMACY

Please be aware that some medications/products will not be refilled if your pet has not been seen within the past 12 months (some exceptions apply such as diet, shampoo or other topical therapies). If necessary, we will communicate with your veterinarian to ensure that necessary medications are dispensed, including allergens for allergen-specific immunotherapy.

Cyclavance Cap Placement Directions

My Vet Store - ORDER

Medications: Allergy, Flea/Tick Prevention, Antimicrobials, Atopica, cyclosporine

Diets: Royal Canin--Purina--Hill's Science Diet--Other

(ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS)

Blue Buffalo