Animal Haven's On-line Pharmacy

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Did you know that all human pharmacies, like CVS, Walgreen and Walmart have regular inspections on the medications they stock to ensure that there are no expired drugs on their shelves, that they are filling legitimate prescriptions, and following all the state board regulations?  Online pet pharmacies don’t have to follow these same regulations.

It is important to understand that some online pet pharmacies sell counterfeit pet products, sell expired medication or food, and dispense prescription medication without a prescription from your veterinarian.  Any of these unethical practices are dangerous for your pet. 

· Most veterinary drug manufacturers limit the sale of their products to licensed veterinarians. Heartworm and flea and tick preventatives are typically acquired from online pet pharmacies illegally.

· Drug manufacturers only guarantee products purchased directly from a veterinarian. For example, heartworm prevention given every 30 days carries a guarantee that if properly used will prevent heartworm and parasite infection.  If your pet is diagnosed with one of these parasites and you purchased the product from your veterinarian, your veterinarian will treat your pet at no cost to you.  However, when purchased from an online pet pharmacy, you must pay for treatment yourself.

· Counterfeit medications are a common issue for both human and pet online pharmacies.

· Certain medications must be shipped and stored at proper temperatures. Inappropriate handling, storage, and shipping could render your pet’s medication ineffective.

· Expiration dates may be short-dated and cannot be exchanged. For example, if you purchase a six-month supply of heartworm prevention it could expire in three months. 

We want to help you protect your pet and keep them happy and healthy, but this is hard to do when purchasing medications from online pet pharmacies.  Therefore, out of concern for your pet many veterinarians, including those at Animal Haven, have decided to endorse our own online pet pharmacy.  These pharmacies are set up specifically for veterinary clinics, and are powered by the pharmaceutical distributors from which we purchase our in-house medications.