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Frequently Asked Questions - Pharmacy/Medications
How long will I need to wait for my pet’s prescription to be filled and how will I
know when it is ready?
Medication orders can take up to 48 hours depending upon the availability of
authorized refills, the need to contact your veterinarian, the volume of medication
orders ahead of your request and the availability of the medication prescribed.
Special orders for medications not included in the routine stock of the hospital
and medications that must be compounded or formulated specifically for your pet
will take longer to complete. A pharmacy technician will always call you at the
phone number indicated in your medication order, or indicated in our records, to
inform you that our medication order is complete or ready for pickup.
Medications can also be mailed or shipped to you for a fee.
How do I refill my pet’s prescription?
If your veterinarian has authorized refills for your pet’s prescription you may call
the pharmacy refill line 858-875-7500 option 3 and request that it be filled again.
The number of refills remaining on the prescription is noted on the bottom of the
prescription label. If your veterinarian has not authorized refills for the
medication, you may request that we contact the veterinarian for you. Your
veterinarian will need to review the medication needs of your pet and authorize
the number of refills they feel are necessary for your pet’s continued care. Refills
that have been authorized by your veterinarian must be filled within 12 months of
the original filling or last visit.
What if I need refills and the veterinarian that saw your pet no longer works at
Veterinary Specialty Hospital?
If the veterinarian that has physically seen your animal is no longer employed by
VSH, it is up to the discretion of the new veterinarian to either approve refills or
ask to see the pet before continuing refills. By California state law, the
veterinarian must have had a visit with you and your pet within the previous 12
months to prescribe medications for your pet.
How do I pay for my pet’s medication?
All medications are charged to your pet’s account. The reception staff located in
the Client Services area is responsible for collecting all payment to your account.
Unless other arrangements are made, payment for medications is required at the
time the medication is received by your and your pet. If you have questions
about the pharmacy charges you may contact the hospital administrator or call
(858) 875-7500. As with any product the cost to obtain medication is constantly
changing and consequently, medication prices are subject to change without
notice. We will make every effort to inform you of price changes, as they occur.
Can I fill my pet’s prescriptions at my local Pharmacy?
If the medication is a human labeled drug it can be filled at your local pharmacy.
Some medications approved only for use in animals (veterinary-labeled) and
medications that require reformulation (compounding) into a specialized form
may not be available form your local pharmacy. Your veterinarian will be able to
help you understand your options for filling your pet’s prescriptions.
If you prefer to use an outside pharmacy, please request a written prescription
from your veterinarian that can be filled at the pharmacy of your choice. For
prescriptions that have already been filled at VSH initially, please verify that this
medication is available at your local pharmacy before requesting that refills be
transferred. If your pet’s prescription has refills, the pharmacy you select should
call VSH Pharmacy at 858-875-7500 directly to request a transfer of the
prescription.
Can I get a refund on prescriptions my pet did not take?
California State Health Code forbids the resale of any prescription medication
that has been dispensed from the hospital. Federal law also stipulates that any
medications that leave the pharmacy may not be returned for reuse due to the
potential for safety concerns that include, tampering, incorrect storage and
contamination in addition; VSH must dispose of medications that are unfit for use
by means of secure, environmentally-sound disposal methods that are of
significant cost to the hospital. The disposal of large volumes of returned drugs
will increase hospital costs overall. Veterinary Specialty Hospital will not accept
medications for return under any circumstances.
You may wish to request small quantities of medications that your pet has not
taken previously so that you can be assured that your pet will tolerate the
therapy.
How can I avoid running out of medications for my pet?
Always check the label on your prescription label to see if refills have been
authorized. If you do not see refills indicated, call the pharmacy at (858) 875-
7500 option 3 as soon as possible to initiate a refill request of your veterinarian.
Do not wait until you are out of medication. Always check your supply before
weekends and holidays when it is difficult to make contact with our veterinarians.
To allow our staff time with their families, hospital staff can be limited during
Sundays and holidays. Mail and shipping service to and from the hospital is
slower on and around holidays, especially in December. Please plan ahead for
these times.
Can prescriptions be mailed?
We offer mail service for your pet’s prescriptions. The current fee for sending
regular US Post from VSH is currently $8.00. If you wish to have your
prescription sent DHL for next-day delivery, the current fee is $26.50. To assure
appropriate storage conditions and safe delivery, medications that require
refrigeration, must be shipped using DHL, next-day delivery. Fees are subject to
change, so please check with the pharmacy staff when requesting that
medication to mailed.
Do you mail prescriptions out of state?
We cannot legally mail your prescriptions out of state. It is best to find a local
veterinarian and work with them to obtain the medication your pet needs if you
have moved out of state. If you are planning a trip, for most medications, you
may request a larger supply from us or your veterinarian prior to your trip.
Who do I contact if I believe there has been an error on my pet’s medication?
If you medication appears different or has changed in any way, it is always
prudent to double check that the medication is correct. Typically, the change is
due to a change in the manufacturer and your prescription bottle will indicate the
change with a label stating “This is the correct medication that has been
prescribed, although the size and shape may appear different”. We work hard to
assure that the medication errors do not occur, however, occasionally errors may
happen. It is very important that you notify us immediately if you ever discover
that we have made an error. We keep track of every reported error and use
these reports to assure that we have instituted every corrective action possible to
prevent an error in the future. If you suspect a problem or wish to verify your
prescription with us, please call the Client Services staff at (858)875-7500 and
ask to speak with a pharmacy staff member to confirm that you have the correct
medication.
If your pet has taken an incorrect medication or if you suspect that they have
been harmed by an error, please notify us immediately.
If a veterinarian who is not employed by VSH prescribes a drug for my pet, can I
have it filled at VSH?
We are not able to fill prescriptions written by anyone other than veterinarians
employed at VSH. Your pet must have had an exam or visit with our VSH
veterinarians within the previous 12 months. State and federal law mandates
our policy on this matter. Prescriptions can only be filled by VSH pharmacy if
they have been written by veterinarians currently employed by VSH and must be
filled for patients currently being treated by one of our doctors.
What do I do if the medication that my pet takes is no longer available?
Medications can always be subject to availability problems due to changes in the
prescription drug market, manufacturer availability and many other economic and
regulatory issues. The pharmacy staff will work closely with our VSH veterinarian
to help find an alternative medications or treatment to fit your pet’s treatment
needs.
Can I use drugs after the expiration date?
Manufacturers assign expiration dates to drugs based on documented safety and
stability studies of the drug in a particular dosage form. After the expiration date,
it can be difficult to determine if the drug is active and safe. Some drugs, such as
tetracyclines can degrade into potentially harmful substances beyond the
assigned expiration date. We never recommend that drugs be used past the
expiration date on the original container or medication label.
Where can I find information about drug interactions and side effects?
The package insert has most of the major side effects and drug interactions listed
for drugs that are made for humans. You can request a package insert
whenever you get a new drug from the pharmacy. Package inserts for drugs
labeled only for animals may have some but not all the information. If the drug is
purchased from VSH we are currently working to complete drug monographs that
will provide most of the information you will need. Your veterinarian and our
pharmacy staff will be able to provide additional information about side effects
and drug interactions. When your pet has an appointment at the hospital; bring
all of their medication with you. This will help us document the exact medications
your pets takes, and provide us with valuable information to keep dangerous
drug interactions from occurring.
Are OTC medications from pharmacies safe to give my pet?
Many over-the-counter (OTC) medications can be dangerous for your pet. The
OTC drug that is most frequently responsible for severe toxicity to pets is the
anti-inflammatory pain reliever, ibuprofen, with the brand names of Motrin and
Advil. Pets metabolize medications very differently than people and even in
small doses of drugs like acetaminophen (Tylenol) that are perfectly safe in
infants, can kill a cat. There are also ingredients that are used to flavor OTC
drugs or keep them in solution that are toxic to pets (XylitoL). Unless your
veterinarian has specifically told you to buy a particular OTC drug from a
pharmacy, do not give OTC medications to your pets.
How do I know if the medication I am giving to my pet is safe during pregnancy
and lactation?
In human medicine, there are references that evaluate drug use during
pregnancy or lactation. These references can be used to predict if drugs can be
safely used in most animal species. There are very few references that evaluate
drugs during pregnancy and lactation in companion animals. Many products are
excreted into milk. Many drugs also cross the blood-placenta barrier some more
than others. If your pet is pregnant, veterinarians will assess the risk of putting
your pet on medications versus the potential benefits. Please talk to your
veterinarian if you believe your pet is pregnant.
What should I do if my pet eats my medication or more than the recommended
dose of their own medication?
It is very important that you quickly contact a veterinarian. There are many
medications designed for safe use in humans that can be very toxic to animals
(NSAID’s, birth control pills, etc). If your pet just ingested the medication, the
veterinarian may want to induce vomiting as soon as possible before the drug is
absorbed. If you wait too long (20 to 30 minutes for most drug formulations given
orally), the drug may become fully absorbed and depending on the medication
may cause serious side effects in your pet. It is important to keep your local
Animal Poison Control phone numbers handy and have hydrogen peroxide
available (to induce vomiting ONLY after you speak with and if recommended by
your veterinarian) in the case that an accidental ingestion occurs.
How do I get rid of old medications?
The Office of National Drug Control Policy in conjunction with the Department of
Health and Human Services and the Environment Protection Agency has issued
consumer-driven guidelines for the proper disposal of unused, unneeded, or
expired prescription drugs. The consortium recommends that drugs be removed
from their original packaging and mixed with an undesired substance, such as
use coffee grounds or kitty litter, and placing them in impermeable, non-descript
containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags, prior to disposal. The
guideline instructs patients to refer to printed material accompanying medication
for flushing restrictions. We urge you to take advantage of community
pharmaceutical take-back programs. San Diego and surrounding counties offer
these programs. Information can be found at the California Integrated Waste
Management website at http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/HHW/PharmWaster/ or refer to
the California Board of Pharmacy recommended disposal methods listed in the
flyer below (http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/publications/dont _flush_meds.pdf).
If my pet vomits after I give medicine, should I give it again?
Whether or not a dose should be given again depends on how long after you
gave the medication and the drug. Typically most drugs are absorbed within 20-
30 minutes after given by mouth. Vomiting after this amount of time is not related
to the drug in the stomach as the vast majority, if not all, has already been
absorbed. In this case do not give another dose.
In some cases, particularly with large tablets or capsules in small dogs, the entire
tab or cap can be found in the vomit indicating that it did not get absorbed at all.
In this case you may want to ask the veterinarian if another formulation of the
drug is available.
If the drug is a chemotherapeutic agent (cyclophosphamide, lomustine, etc.) or
another potentially toxic drug at high doses, it would be best to check with your
veterinarian or our pharmacist before giving another dose. | 
