There is no question that people are still trying to save a few dollars where they can, but there are some things you shouldn’t risk even if the price is right. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a consumer alert to pet owners, warning them about the potentially deadly dangers associated with purchasing drugs for your pet online.
Recent FDA investigations found several online companies are selling unapproved drugs or other falsely advertised products. Some companies are making unsubstantiated claims about their effectiveness, others are dispensing drugs without a prescription, even shipping expired drugs to oblivious pet owners.
The FDA is alerting consumers to be very weary of the advertisements that say pet owners don’t need a veterinarian’s prescription for their pet’s medications. It doesn’t take long to learn the devastating result of giving a pet medication they don’t need. For example, you could kill a dog that already has heartworms by giving it heartworm medication, or kill a small cat by giving it medication for treating fleas and ticks on dogs.
Sure, there are some online dealers that are reputable. If you want to buy online drugs, the FDA recommends placing orders at sites that belong to a Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites accredited pharmacy, or Vet-VIPPS. This voluntary accreditation program of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy started in 2009, so only a small number of pharmacies are currently Vet-VIPPS accredited.
Another alternative is to ask your veterinarian if they have an online pharmacy or prescription management service. Nonetheless, your safest bet – for you and your pet – is to consult your veterinarian and only get drugs from them.
-- Dr. Bill Craig --