[Anonymous]

From the Boston Herald 7/11/2015 http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/lifestyle/2015/07/steer_clear_of_meds_sold_online

Dear Dr. John,

I seek your opinion on a matter that I find puzzling. Our family owns two dogs and a cat, and we take good care of them. We see our veterinarian on a regular basis and follow her advice on matters of preventative medicine and just about everything else. I would like you to share your thoughts on Internet pharmacies and the purchase of medications there instead of from our vet. Our vet offers reasonable prices, but medications are a bit cheaper at the online pharmacies. I have been told some of the products, such as heartworm preventatives and flea and tick preventatives, are supposed to only be sold by a vet. Our vet has given us written prescriptions that can be filled through the Internet, but she tells us these drugs are obtained illegally by these pharmacies. Is that true? What should we do? We want our pets to get medications that we can rely on, and we don’t want to support illegal activity.— P.M.

Dear P.M.,

What you ask is something that practicing veterinarians deal with every day. Many animal hospitals and veterinarians dispense medications to patients. As small businesses, they cannot match the pricing of corporations that buy supplies in much larger quantities and at a cheaper cost, in turn passing on those savings to customers. The drug companies say they will only sell these products directly to veterinarians, and it is my understanding that they do. Some veterinarians, who I feel are somewhat unethical and looking to make a buck, purchase large amounts of these products and then for a fee sell them to intermediary brokers, who then sell them to Internet pharmacies. This is called drug diversion or the gray market, and while technically not illegal, it is considered wrong and opens up questions of quality control and ethics.

Furthermore, the drug companies make it clear that if the animal develops a problem or side effect from the medications, they will support the care of the patient and stand by their product only if it was dispensed by a veterinarian and not if obtained through drug diversion. While I am also a consumer, I would rather follow proper, ethical and legal channels and purchase from the veterinarian directly. Only your veterinarian knows your pet and knows it best, not the online pharmacy. This is what I advise my clients.