Veterinarians and supplying medication

Your animals medicines, prescribed and supplied by us are often S4 medications and are classified as:-

“A prescription animal remedy” OR “Prescription Only Medicine”

This means that only a registered veterinary surgeon can supply them to “animals under their care.” And professional diagnosis and monitoring is required in every case.

In simple terms:-

We need to examine your pet at least every six months to continue supplying their medications. More complicated conditions may require more frequently re-examination to ensure your animal’s medical needs have not changed.

This is a legal obligation all Veterinarians are required to abide by set regulations by the Government of South Australia under the Controlled Substances Act 1984 and the Controlled Substances (Poisons) Regulations 1996 for the health and wellbeing of the animal receiving the medication.

The Veterinarian will discuss your animal’s needs with you at your consultation and they will advise the frequency of visits required to monitor the diagnosed condition. At these consultations there is every opportunity for you to discuss further treatment and have all your questions answered and become aware of the responsibility as the owner as to the frequency of the visits to monitor this condition.

How do you get your pet’s prescription if he/she is not due for a recheck?

As long as your pet is not due for a re-examination, all you need to do is to let us know you need more medication. The vet nurse that talks to you on the phone then asks the Veterinarian to authorize the prescription of the medication.

The vet nurse may also ask you “is the medication still working and what dose are you giving”, or “has the animals condition improved with this medication”, this is just to ascertain whether the medication is working as expected or whether a revisit should be made sooner than previously thought.

Once your records have been double checked by the vet we can give you a repeat prescription.

Most medications we have in stock, so they can be supplied straight away. However, in cases of large volumes or unusual medications, we may need to place a special order.

Therefore we require 24 hours notice to prepare prescription, allowing the Veterinarian time to authorize the prescription, and ensure stock is available so as to avoid disappointment.

Use of prescription drugs

Many drugs have legal restrictions on their use and can only be dispensed under certain conditions, and must be given or applied correctly. If you have any concerns about your ability to treat your animal at home with a particular medication please do not hesitate to discuss this with us.

Prescription drug regulations for the veterinary industry

The following website www.dassa.sa.gov.au provides more information on prescription drug regulations in the veterinary industry, and the responsibilities of the Veterinarian.

Our approach to Pet Wellness

Pets cannot live forever but with good healthcare management they can live to their full potential. This may be over the equivalent of 100 human years. The key to a longer life is being able to detect problems early. We do this by regular check-ups and thorough examinations. Early detection of any disease process gives us more treatment options. Starting treatment of any disease process early will ensure a longer life and a better quality of life.

Therefore as a regular Standard of Care we advocate twice a year check-ups allowing your Veterinarian to detect, treat and help prevent problems before they become life threatening.

Depending on the diagnosis and the frequency of visits required for the condition diagnosed, if you are following the wellness Standards of Care and visiting the vet on a six monthly basis as needed the above number of visits to receive your medication will often be met.

Your Veterinarian will advise on more complicated cases if the number of visits required is more often than 6 months.

Please do not hesitate to call and speak to one of our nurses to clarify any of this information at any time.