Submission Number: 560891-00620 

Received: 10/13/2012 12:03:23 PM
Commenter: Laura Lien
Organization: 
State: Wisconsin

Agency: Federal Trade Commission
Initiative: Request for Comments and Announcement of Workshop on Pet Medications Issues, Project No. P121201
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
Physicians (MD) are not required to provide a written prescription to their patients. The same should be allowed to their veterinary counterparts. When an MD prescribes medications filled at an off-site pharmacy the pharmacists can provide much of the client education necessary for safe use of the medication for HUMAN patients. The same can not be said for veterinary patients. Dependent on the species, the pharmacists may not be able to provide necessary information for safe use or adverse effects. Often the veterinarian receives the client's call and can not verify that the prescription was handled in a correct manner or correctly filled. Requiring the veterinarian to provide to the client verbal alternatives to in-house dispensing is a good choice but a mandatory paper prescription is not required of MDs and should not be required of veterinarians. It is an added cost that will be passed on to the client.