The Scoop about Online Veterinary Compounding Pharmacies

| Print | By Jo Singer | May 21, 2009 10:09 AM

Most people consider their pets to be part of the family. Many of us refer to ourselves as "fur moms or dads" or even "pawrents". So it is very understandable that when one of our fur "kids" is under the weather, we promptly seek advice from their family doc . . . our veterinarians.

After a thorough examination, often veterinarians prescribe medications. But what about those of us that find it difficult to administer tablets or capsules, and often liquid medication dispensed by our vets, is so distasteful to our pets that most of it ends up on the carpet. Thus we find ourselves chasing Fluffy or Fido through the house to make sure that every drop of the precious medication is administered.

And what about medications that are difficult to find? In fact, we had a cat many years ago, who was prescribed a drug that had been taken off the market for human use, but was the most appropriate medication to treat his condition. Since no local pharmacy carried it anymore, and our vet did not dispense it, we found ourselves in a dilemma.

20-cat meds.jpgThankfully our vet referred us to Island Pharmacy, a veterinary compounding apothecary, which of course had the medication in stock and was able to dispense it with her prescription. Interestingly, there are many medications which are no longer prescribed for humans, but are ideal in the treatment for our furry friends. The medication was shipped to us right away and arrived two days later. Now that is convenience in a nutshell!

Online veterinary pharmacies provide a handy alternative to local drugstores for many pharmaceutical products, and for those of us who care for chronically ill pets, they can be a boon. Refills are easy to order and many of them offer free shipping.

According to an article I found online the other day, one of these online pharmacies, VetCentric, published some interesting data obtained from their recent survey of pet owners about veterinary care that included prescribed medications:

"96% of pet owners stated that it was important to be able to order their pet's medication through their veterinarian to ensure that the vet remained involved with the pet's care (51% stated that this is "very important")

90% of pet owners stated it was important to have the convenience of home delivery for their pet's medications

87% of pet owners stated it was important to have automatic refills of the pet's medications so they didn't have to worry about missing a dose

87% of pet owners stated it was important to have a variety of medication forms and flavorings that make it easier for pets to take their medications"

VetCentric's policy is, "The program includes free 2nd day shipping for first fills and free standard shipping for all refills when the prescription is set up to automatically refill. Complete information about the program is available through the recently launched compounding microsite at www.vetcentric.com/compounding."

While Island Pharmacy does not offer free shipping at this time, they do carry a wide variety of veterinary medications compounded with flavors that are appealing to pets, which of course makes it easier to administer. Visit http://www.islandpharmacy.com/site/1420401/page/45029 for contact information and to read about what they offer.

While our local pharmacy does compound medications for pets, I find it more convenient to have these items delivered directly to my door. It makes much less work for this "fur mom" at any rate.

Read more about online veterinary pharmacies at: http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_buy_pet_medication_online

Have you had experience with online veterinary pharmacies, or would you consider ordering from them? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

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Comments (8)

jmuhj May 21, 2009 12:02 PM

This is an excellent resource and I have filed the URL's for later need. Thank you for sharing!

Vicki May 21, 2009 12:27 PM

I would consider online vet pharmacies, but my vet carries any medicine she prescribes for my animals, and I get it from their office. I think it is a great idea though.

Donna May 21, 2009 5:29 PM

I'd be concerned about the quality of the product once it reached my home. Missy's eye drops must be refrigerated...and here comes summer. How are they going to keep them cold during shipping?

I have the same concerns over mail order prescriptions for humans...I do work in a pharmacy and wonder what effect someone's pills sitting in an oven of a "cluster mailbox" would have on their effectiveness.

Once I ordered a free sample of vitamins, and sure enough, when they got here, they were congealed into one gigantic lump. No mail order for me! (Not to mention the security...I came home one day to find over $100 work of meds just thrown on my porch for anyone to pick up!)

It's food for thought...if you're not home to get those meds when the mailman drops them off.

Steve May 24, 2009 9:54 AM

I used a compounding pharmacy to make medications more palatable for my beloved cat when he was chronically ill during the last two years of his life to make his medicine more palatable thus to make it easier to get it where it needed to go.He was very finicky and neither of us needed the added stress. We used both a local pharmacy and Pine Island in upstate New York whose compounding services are advertised online. Pine Island got the bulk of my business because their compounding was far more consistent than what we got from the local store (which sometimes used vasty different ingredients that were not palatable to him), and their staff was far more pleasant to deal with. Their preparation and shipping was always prompt.There are two other online pharmacies listed in the article. I have no experience with them. Here is the link to Pine Island Pharmacy. http://www.pinepharmacy.com/

Jo Singer May 27, 2009 9:38 AM

A veterinarian friend sent me an email with this excellent cautionary advice, so am adding this as supplimental content.

"It is important to use a reputable compounding pharmacy, and even then with care. Mistakes can be made on medicines that are not commercially available, for instance, the vitamin mixture that killed the polo ponies in south Florida.
Using human medicines that are flavored usually are fine, but be cautious about meds that are no longer available and are manufactured by the compounding pharmacy."


Payday Loans Canada July 9, 2009 11:51 PM

I should say that www.petside.com has lots of interesting information. Looks like the author did a good job. I will be coming back to www.petside.com for new information. Thank you.

Anthony October 16, 2009 10:55 PM

I live in New York City and have been very lucky and pleased to find a pharmacy there that is certified for both human and veterinary compounding. They prepare these medications in a lab dedicated to just compounding. My dog was given a flavored micro tablet which worked when all other forms of preparations failed. Thanks New London Pharmacy and Good Pet Rx in Chelsea NY.

Annamaria October 28, 2009 8:38 PM

Thank you Petside.com for the compounding information and the posting of Good Pet Rx and New London Pharmacy in NYC. They prepared my cats medication and delivered it to me the same day with full directions and a follow up call to make sure everything was ok.

Rani January 30, 2010 8:57 PM
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I live on 81st and Park and my vet used Good Pet Rx where my dogs medicine was delivered the same day. Affordable prescription and free delivery whats better!

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