Pharmacy Info

Be Informed When Buying Medications For Your Pet From the Internet or Mail-Order Catalogs

The drugs from some Internet drug sites and Mail-Order Catalogs may look the same as the medications you buy from us, but there are significant differences you should know about.

Uncertain Sources.  Manufacturers will not sell their medications to Internet drug companies or mail-order catalogs. So these companies must search for these drugs and buy them second and third hand, either from veterinarians or from someplace outside the country. Because of potential long travel distances and unknown storage conditions, the quality and effectiveness of these medications may be compromised. There are no temperature and environmental controls, and there are no regulatory agencies or manufacturer’s representatives present to inspect how these products are handled, transported or stored.

No Guarantee by the Manufacturer. When we order medications, they are shipped directly to us from the manufacturer’s or certified distributor’s climate-controlled warehouses. They arrive here by overnight or second-day air, and are stored for only a short time in our hospital before you buy them. The manufacturer considers all this very important to assure the medication’s quality and effectiveness.

Because of this attention to detail, the products you buy from us are fully guaranteed by the manufacturer. If your pet gets intestinal worms, for example, or heartworms when using a company’s product, they will pay for the entire diagnosis and treatment. These manufacturers do not guarantee drugs purchased from internet drug companies or mail-order catalogs due to quality uncertainties.

Not Necessarily Cheaper.  We really try to control our costs for many medications so you can feel comfortable you are giving your pet a guaranteed, effective product at a fair price. Many clients have told us that our prices for Heartgard, Advantage, and Frontline Plus, for example, are practically the same as those found on some of the largest Internet drug sites you see advertised on TV. In many cases, we are actually a little less expensive. We can also mail medications to you with no mailing fees if you call us with a charge card number. Plus, you can save even more by taking advantage of generous free product or rebate offers made available to us by the manufacturer. These free product and rebate offers are not available on drugs purchased from internet companies or mail-order catalogs.

Uncertain Quality. We are your pet’s health-care professionals. We want to make sure the medications you give your pet to prevent or treat some pretty serious diseases are of the best quality available. You now know that medications purchased from internet companies or mail-order catalogs are not endorsed or guaranteed by the companies that manufacture them, come from obscure sources, and are stored in unknown conditions. Since even the manufacturers do not stand behind the quality of these medications, neither do we. So if you decide to use these products, we may want to do some additional testing on your pet to make sure the medications are doing what they are supposed to do and that your pet is receiving the best protection or treatment possible.

If you do wish to purchase from an internet source, at least allow us to point you towards a couple that have a good reputation.