Filling Your Pet's Prescriptions

In the January edition of DVM 360, there was a disturbing story: Oregon Veterinarians Tally Retail Pharmacists’ Mistakes. The article was about how the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association recently conducted a survey to determine how often mistakes are being madehappening when retail pharmacies fill veterinarian prescriptions. The alarming results show that these mistakes are not isolated incidents and have been observed by more than a third of veterinarians in the state.

Below is a list of some areas that were listed where veterinarians in Oregon are seeing problems:

1. Insulin substitutions
2. Thyroid drug dosage changes
3. Phenobarbital dosage changes
4. Ringworm treatment substitutions
5. Propylene glycol misinformation
6. Wrong drug dispensed
7. Incorrect dosages
8. Disregard for veterinarians’ instructions- no substitution means NO substitution for a reason!
9. Inappropriate client counseling (some side effects that people experience in human medicine do not apply to animals)

In one case, a vet prescribed propylene glycol for a dog with a hyperkeratotic nose problem. The pharmacist told the owner of the dog that the vet prescribed ethylene glycol (anitfreeze) and that it would kill her dog.

Obviously the owner didn’t get the medication and the dog went untreated until the vet called to check up on the dog.

The key to this post is not to knock retail pharmacists but to provide education to pet owners as more and more of them choose to have their pet's medication filled at retail stores over their veterinary office for various reasons.

• Educate yourself on your pet's medication.
• Be aware of what your pet's prescription is.
• If your veterinarian hand writes a prescription, write it down or make a copy of it so that you can compare it to the prescription of what was filled by the pharmacist. If your veterinarian calls it in for you, ask them what the prescription is and write it down.
• When you pick up your pet's medication, always double check it. Is it the same brand name of medication? Is it the same dose that your veterinarian prescribed?

Ideally, fill your prescriptions at your veterinarian's office. Not only will you be filling the prescription at a "pharmacy" that is educated about pets and medications, you will supporting your veterinary office as well. However if you do fill your prescriptions at a big box pharmacy and ever doubt anything, have questions, or the pharmacist wants to change your pet's prescription, please call your veterinarian and ask.

http://mybrownnewfies.com/2013/01/29/9-mistakes-that-are-being-made-when-retail-pharmacists-fill-veterinary-prescriptions/