Our Prescription Policies

Why do you have to examine my pet before you will authorize his/her prescription?
What makes ARKLE's website pharmacy, VetStore different?
Why won't you authorize my pet's prescription by telephone or fax?
It is inconvenient to come by the clinic to pick up my pet's medication. What do you recommend?
Why do I have to come by the clinic to pick up my pet's written prescription?
What risks am I possibly taking by purchasing my pet's prescription medication from an outside source?
What does the FDA say about buying from less expensive internet sources?
What does Georgia law require for my vet to provide a prescription for my pet?

When we require you to have your pet examined, or have tests performed before we approve medications or treatments, we are protecting the safety of your pet, not our pocketbook. It would be much easier for us to just sell people whatever they wanted for their animal or approve their requests from outside sources, but it would not only be illegal, it would be unethical and unsafe for the pet. This is why we will not do it. Ever. We will review your pet's medical record to be sure that our recommendations and actions are always in the animal's best interest. This may occasionally cause you minor inconvenience. We apologize for that inconvenience in advance. For more information on the legalities involved click here.
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Why do you have to examine my pet before you will authorize his/her prescription?
At ARKLE Veterinary Care, it is our policy to take every possible step to ensure that our patients receive the very best pharmaceutical products available with adequate information to administer the products correctly and safely for your pet. Veterinarians are required to have a valid veterinarian/client/patient relationship in order to prescribe certain medications for animals. This means the doctor needs to examine your pet at least once a year. For some medications and health conditions more frequent examinations and sometimes specific tests are needed to ensure your pet is as happy and healthy as possible for as long as possible.
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It is inconvenient to come by the clinic to pick up my pet's medication. What do you recommend? 
We carry a number of prescription products, veterinary prescription diets and products labeled by the manufacturer "for sale by licensed veterinarians only".  We try to balance the convenience for you by having products available at the clinic and also through our online pharmacy, VetStore.  We try to keep our prices reasonable and may be lower than some companies that claim they have lower prices. You may use our VetStore to purchase most if not all of your pet’s pharmacy needs and have them delivered to you. You can also purchase some prescription diets through this online store.  VetStore also allows us to prescribe medications and prescription diets we do not regularly carry.  We have control of the prescription(s) and can monitor for compliance/refills, just as if the prescription/food was dispensed directly from ARKLE's veterinary clinic.
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What makes  ARKLE's website pharmacy, VetStore different?
Our home delivery pharmacy, VetStore, operated by Vetcentric is the only pharmacy that has been approved to VIPPS status by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy as recognized by the FDA and the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association). To learn more, click  HERE.
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What are the risks of using an outside source for my pet's veterinary medications?
If you wish, we will gladly write prescriptions for your pet in lieu of selling them here or through our online VetStore.  You may come by the clinic to pick up the written prescriptions during regular office hours for any medication that we have currently prescribed for your pet. We do not charge any additional fee for written prescriptions, even though there is a cost in materials and time involved. We do, however, wish for your decision to be an informed one, and want you to know several things regarding prescription sales through some or all other sources:

 
What does the FDA say about buying from less expensive internet sources?

 
(AWARE brochure)   (Buyer Beware brochure)

1.  Some companies purchase medications labeled and formulated for other countries and sell them via internet pharmacies here in the USA. This is illegal. The drugs may be a different strength than the FDA approved product, or contain different chemicals, possibly even be labeled with a different name. These drugs may have been illegally obtained, and there is no certainty that they have been handled or stored properly. They may not even be in date.

2. Some companies, usually in foreign countries, manufacture "knock offs" of prescription medications, with packaging similar to the FDA approved product sold at your veterinarian's office. This is no guarantee that the package contains the drug on the label, in the amount on the label or that there are no toxic substances present.  A bargain is not a good thing if your pet doesn't get the medication you think they are, or their health is endangered.

3. What you get from any outside source, and how your pet responds to it, is between you and the outside source. Any warranty by the manufacturer of the product may be void when the product is purchased through a source other than the veterinarian that prescribed the drug.

Most of the major manufacturers of pet medication sold in the USA refuse to sell to anyone but a licensed veterinarian. This holds true for prescription items, like heartworm preventions, and some non-prescription items, like flea preventions. This policy is present because the manufacturer is doing everything in their power to keep your pet healthy and safe. Getting your pet's medication directly from your veterinarian ensures that the medication is not expired, is handled properly, the correct strength is dispensed, the directions are clear and accurate, refills are monitored to be sure the medication is being given to your pet properly and, if needed, tests are performed to monitor your pet's health while they are on the medication.  
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Why won't you authorize my pet's prescription by telephone or fax?
We will not authorize any veterinary prescription medication to an outside source by telephone or fax because we do not want to give any appearance of having a relationship with the outside source or approval of what they dispense to you. 

 
Why do I have to come by the clinic to pick up my pet's written prescription? 
We require you to come to the clinic to pick up the written prescription so that we know you actually receive it and we can answer any questions about the medication being prescribed. This information is placed in your pet's medical records to show exactly what and when medication was prescribed. Mail can get lost before delivery. Items left outside after hours for you to pick up may be taken by anyone passing by.
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The Georgia Board of Veterinary Medicine-What does the law say?

     We are legally obligated to learn enough about your pet to provide reasonable and safe medical treatments for them, including medications, which we prescribe. For medications that may have side effects or possible complications this  means we may need to  monitor your pet's condition with more frequent examinations and, if needed, diagnostic tests to be sure our prescriptions are both safe and effective for your pet.
 
     This is considered so vital to the professional conduct expected and required of veterinarians that the Georgia Veterinary Board Regulations state "It is unlawful for a veterinarian to release, prescribe, and/or dispense any prescription drugs without having examined the animal and established a valid veterinary/client/patient relationship."

Here is the information written into Georgia state law concerning what must exist for us to prescribe or approve medication for your pet, whether we dispense it or provide you with a written prescription for your pet:
1.     The veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making medical judgement regarding the health of the animal and the need for medical treatment and the client (owner or other caretaker) has agreed to follow the veterinarian's instructions. 

2.     There is sufficient knowledge of the animal by the veterinarian to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal. This means that the veterinarian has seen the animal within the last twelve (12) months and is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the animal by virtue of an examination of the animal, and/or by medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal(s) are kept.
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