Prescription Policy
Our policy in regards to prescription medications and diets follow Federal and Florida State pharmacy laws in the following manner:
1. Physical examination is required for all prescription medication and prescription diets. Florida State Law requires a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) exist before any medication or diet is prescribed, and this relationship can only be established with the physical examination of the patient by a veterinarian, consultation with the family, and the documentation of such examination and consultation within the patient’s medical records. 2. Yearly or bi-yearly physical examination is required for prescription medication and prescription diet continuation. Any pets with chronic illness that are on long term pharmaceutical or nutritional management require once to twice a year health exams to determine if their condition is being managed to the satisfaction of the veterinarian, family, and general well-being of the pet. Certain diagnostic tests such as blood work or urinalysis will be required for the continuation of any long-term therapeutic medications and diets. 3. Follow-up examination is required for continued medication and diet dispensing. Any pet that has a medical condition will require follow-up examination with the veterinarian to continue any course of treatment that was prescribed, or to pursue alternate forms of therapy. Failure to schedule and appear for follow-up examinations will result in the necessity of full exam fees being charged for future visits, even if it is “the same thing that happened before.” 4. Paws Vet Care Center will not provide returns, refunds, credits, exchanges, or any other form of compensation for any dispensed prescription medications. Families who have prescription medications for their pets they find they no longer need should dispose of those medications in a manner that prevents them from being obtained by children or pets, or as instructed on the package label.
5. We will not approve any prescription medication requests faxed, emailed, or called in to our office from internet pharmacies as we cannot confirm the legitimacy of every internet pharmacy that is out there. We do not feel comfortable approving prescription requests from such online pharmacies because of our concern for the well-being of your pet. Please, use online and internet pharmacies with the utmost of caution.
6. Paws Vet Care does not price match our in-clinic prices of any medication or diet with the prices of any pharmacies. Families who wish to purchase medications from our clinic or our Our Online Pharmacy may do so at our in-clinic and online pharmacy prices.
7. Just like a human medical doctor hands you a prescription paper for your medication, we will gladly provide such a prescription paper for your pet that you are welcome to submit to the pharmacy of your choice. You will be responsible for completing the submission process in accordance with the pharmacy you choose. 8. If you are submitting your written prescription to a local pharmacy, be advised that not all veterinary medications are Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for human use, and your local pharmacy may not carry the medication your pet needs if it does not have an equivalent FDA approved human form or strength. While we will attempt to work with your local pharmacy to provide your pet with the best options available to them, the best option may still be a veterinary-specific medication not available at a local pharmacy or in a generic form. 9. If you take a written prescription then decide to have that medication filled at our in-clinic or online pharmacy, we require you return and submit that written prescription back to our office in order for us to fill it. [In other words, once a written prescription leaves our hospital without being filled, we are no longer a prescribing hospital, but become a pharmacy under the law. And, as with any other pharmacy, we are required by law to have you submit a written prescription to us in order for us to fill the medication, whether it be through our in-clinic pharmacy or our online pharmacy. We do this because certain medications (e.g., heartworm preventatives, controlled substances) can only be dispensed in certain quantities at a time, and if we dispense those medications while there is still a valid written prescription “floating out there,” then we have violated the quantity restrictions on that medication.]
1. Physical examination is required for all prescription medication and prescription diets. Florida State Law requires a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) exist before any medication or diet is prescribed, and this relationship can only be established with the physical examination of the patient by a veterinarian, consultation with the family, and the documentation of such examination and consultation within the patient’s medical records. 2. Yearly or bi-yearly physical examination is required for prescription medication and prescription diet continuation. Any pets with chronic illness that are on long term pharmaceutical or nutritional management require once to twice a year health exams to determine if their condition is being managed to the satisfaction of the veterinarian, family, and general well-being of the pet. Certain diagnostic tests such as blood work or urinalysis will be required for the continuation of any long-term therapeutic medications and diets. 3. Follow-up examination is required for continued medication and diet dispensing. Any pet that has a medical condition will require follow-up examination with the veterinarian to continue any course of treatment that was prescribed, or to pursue alternate forms of therapy. Failure to schedule and appear for follow-up examinations will result in the necessity of full exam fees being charged for future visits, even if it is “the same thing that happened before.” 4. Paws Vet Care Center will not provide returns, refunds, credits, exchanges, or any other form of compensation for any dispensed prescription medications. Families who have prescription medications for their pets they find they no longer need should dispose of those medications in a manner that prevents them from being obtained by children or pets, or as instructed on the package label.
5. We will not approve any prescription medication requests faxed, emailed, or called in to our office from internet pharmacies as we cannot confirm the legitimacy of every internet pharmacy that is out there. We do not feel comfortable approving prescription requests from such online pharmacies because of our concern for the well-being of your pet. Please, use online and internet pharmacies with the utmost of caution.
6. Paws Vet Care does not price match our in-clinic prices of any medication or diet with the prices of any pharmacies. Families who wish to purchase medications from our clinic or our Our Online Pharmacy may do so at our in-clinic and online pharmacy prices.
7. Just like a human medical doctor hands you a prescription paper for your medication, we will gladly provide such a prescription paper for your pet that you are welcome to submit to the pharmacy of your choice. You will be responsible for completing the submission process in accordance with the pharmacy you choose. 8. If you are submitting your written prescription to a local pharmacy, be advised that not all veterinary medications are Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for human use, and your local pharmacy may not carry the medication your pet needs if it does not have an equivalent FDA approved human form or strength. While we will attempt to work with your local pharmacy to provide your pet with the best options available to them, the best option may still be a veterinary-specific medication not available at a local pharmacy or in a generic form. 9. If you take a written prescription then decide to have that medication filled at our in-clinic or online pharmacy, we require you return and submit that written prescription back to our office in order for us to fill it. [In other words, once a written prescription leaves our hospital without being filled, we are no longer a prescribing hospital, but become a pharmacy under the law. And, as with any other pharmacy, we are required by law to have you submit a written prescription to us in order for us to fill the medication, whether it be through our in-clinic pharmacy or our online pharmacy. We do this because certain medications (e.g., heartworm preventatives, controlled substances) can only be dispensed in certain quantities at a time, and if we dispense those medications while there is still a valid written prescription “floating out there,” then we have violated the quantity restrictions on that medication.]