23714 222nd Pl. SE, Suite L
Maple Valley, WA 98038
425.432.9975
Internet Prescriptions Information Sheet
At Wilderness Animal Hospital, we take pride in being your furry family
member’s doctor and see our role as an integral part in providing healthcare to
your pet. The primary focus of our practice is centered on offering a professional
level of high quality medical, surgical and dental care. In addition to these
professional services, we do stock numerous forms of pharmaceuticals, vaccines
and products for your pets.
We carry these items in our practice primarily for two reasons; (1) Many items
are animal specific formulations or for animal only usage - often these
products aren’t carried locally by traditional brick and mortar pharmacies and
(2) there is a convenience in having items readily available onsite rather than
sending our clients to another location just to sit and wait for prescriptions
to be filled elsewhere. Wilderness Animal Hospital takes measures to ensure the
vaccines, medications and products we provide to our patients are properly
handled and stored from initial manufacture until they reach our facility. The
items we offer from our hospital supply are obtained either directly from their
manufacturing source or via our relationships with selected major distributors
which track these items to verify their integrity.
We’re fully aware there are many internet
sites and catalogue houses which sell pharmaceutical products directly to
consumers. Contrary to slick print and television advertising marketing touting
pet medications available at less than half the price from the veterinarian,
this veterinary office generally offers full-sized packaged medications
(Sentinel, Deramaxx, Rimadyl, Revolution) for similar prices – in fact, we
might be even lower when company “bonus doses” or manufacturer rebates are
taken into account. We also match 1 800 Pet Meds pricing on parasite control
medication that we carry.
It is our practice policy to honor internet prescription requests to our
clients at their request. We do not charge a fee for processing internet
pharmacy prescription requests for our patients. We do, however wish for your
decision on where to have your pet’s prescription filled to be an informed one,
and feel it is part of our responsibility as your pet’s doctor to advise you
consider the following:
1. We will process an internet pharmacy prescription on request provided we
have recently examined your pet and the particular medication or product is
appropriate. The time frame of ‘recent examination’ is at the doctor’s
discretion but will never exceed a maximum of one year from your pets’ last
annual examination. We request a faxed prescription request from the internet
pharmacy you are using.
2. Please double check to ensure your prescription is sent, filled, labeled,
shipped and used correctly. Carefully select your choice of pharmacy including
thoroughly researching the company for Board of Pharmacy disciplinary actions.
3. Some guarantees made by manufacturers regarding their products are null and
void (not honored) if their products are purchased through non-approved
channels. This includes the guarantee reimbursement for heartworm / intestinal
parasite claims if your pet contracts heartworms or specific parasites while on
prevention.
4. Some internet based pharmacies and catalogue companies have been repeatedly
reprimanded by the FDA and State Boards of Pharmacy for violating prescribing
procedure. Several well known companies have been cited and fined repeatedly
for the same violations in the same states or several states!
5. Pharmaceuticals manufactured and labeled for use in other countries
(Australia, New Zealand) have been illegally diverted and sold through some
internet sources and catalogues in the United States. In addition, counterfeit
medications, preventatives and product have been produced and sold to
unsuspecting consumers. The FDA-CVM has documented these problems with the use
of some internet sources. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm115432.pdf
What is most important to us is a long healthy life for your pet. Using quality medication both for treatment and prevention of disease helps us reach that goal. Our hope is that giving you information to make the best decision for your pet will help us be successful.