PRESCRIPTON REFILLS

We take our responsibility to protect the health and welfare of your pets seriously. Animal Health Care of Myerstown understands the importance of protecting your pet with year-round prescriptions for fleas, ticks and heartworms and the value of long-term medications. We also understand that "convenience" of refilling a prescription must be recognized especially in our busy daily lives. For your convenience, there is a service available to you on epethealth.com where you can fill a prescription request; or you can call and our staff will refill your prescription over the telephone

When a prescription refill is requested, the following 5 steps must be completed by our staff:

• Your pet's medical history must be reviewed by a veterinarian to confirm that your pet is well enough to take the medication. Weak, sick, or older pets should not take certain medications.
• A review of your pet's medical record is performed to ensure that tests are current. For example, your pet needs a heartworm test with a negative result before any heartworm prevention can be dispensed. Certain arthritis medications (NSAIDS) require routine blood tests to check liver and kidney function in order to safely prescribe them to your pets.
• The record will be confirmed for appropriate dose, how often the medication should be given and the number of refills allowed.
• For prescriptions being called into pharmacies: A verification of the pharmacy you are using showing that it is licensed with the state board of pharmacy.
• The prescriptions will need to be recorded in your pet's medical record so we can carefully monitor its interaction with other medications your pet may be taking.

Out of concern for your pet's safety, we will not deal directly with Internet pharmacies. For example pharmacies such as Chewy.com or 1-800 Pet meds. If you want to deal directly with such pharmacies we will provide you with a written prescription that you must send in to the pharmacy of your choosing. We also will not fill prescriptions received in our office by fax or phone from an outside source. Caution needs to be exercised especially when obtaining prescriptions from an internet pharmacy. Several companies have been disciplined for dispensing products and drugs that these pharmacies obtain from outside of the United States which may not meet the FDA standards for safety and quality, and for violations of state and federal pharmacy laws.

To avoid any potential doctor-patient confidentiality issues, we will not communicate with internet pharmacies in any form or fashion. It is your responsibility to ensure that the prescription is sent, filled, labeled, shipped, and used correctly. The internet pharmacies have a reputation for poor customer service, and we cannot be expected to take the time to oversee their operations. We will not become involved in any product failure issues for products purchased through these internet pharmacies. This includes flea, heartworm, and intestinal parasite prevention.

If you choose to purchase a prescription through such pharmacies, please be aware of the following risks:

• The drug manufacturer may not guarantee medications.
• Some medications may be foreign drugs that may not have the same quality and purity assurance as the United States does. It is illegal to dispense foreign drugs in the U.S., including foreign versions of U.S. products.
• Some medications may be imitations of approved drugs.
• Selling prescriptions directly to consumers without a veterinarian-client-patient relationship may pose serious health risks to patients.

It is our intention at Animal Health Care of Myerstown to keep the fees involved with prescription medication refills fair and reasonable. As mentioned earlier, the refill of a prescription requires the above 5 steps; in addition to other hidden fees such as Pennsylvania state tax, staffing, maintenance of an inventory, and the actual paperwork to dispense a product. Our pharmacy is a vital and integral part of our practice. It provides our clients and their pets with the latest technology, convenience, and the right medications - all at a competitive price. Revenue from our pharmacy allows us to purchase the latest equipment and pay for our caring, dedicated staff of professionals.

A Commonly Asked Question:

Why does my pet need a yearly exam to get refills of their prescription diet?

Prescription diets can be used for kidney disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal issues, urinary care, and much more. A yearly office visit is necessary for these proscription diets so that our doctors can ensure that the food is helping you pet and that no changes need to be made. Although these foods can be very beneficial, these conditions can return or worsen over time. Our doctor’s job is to monitor the patient’s progress to see of the treatment is working and to see if any changes need to be made. In addition, it is unlawful for a veterinarian to prescribe any medications or prescription diets without a veterinarian-client-patient relationship.

Thank you for taking the time to read this as we want you to be properly informed so that you can decide on the best way to use the prescription. We appreciate your letting us be a part of your pet’s health care team.

The Doctors and Staff of Animal Health Care of Myerstown