Veterinary Drugs Basics

Meet your clients' needs with veterinary medications for every application
By R.N. Dolgener, Special Education Teacher Veterinary drugs sales comprise the largest segment of income for most veterinary clinics and hospitals, but it takes an astute doctor to keep abreast of the constantly changing field of veterinary pharmaceuticals. Drug companies are constantly developing new products, which requires that veterinary professionals continue to educate themselves and their staff to provide clients with the most up-to-date and accurate pet drugs information available.

The best way to guarantee a client that the dog treatment protocol you've prescribed is the most effective option, and that you have the client's budget in mind, is to learn everything you can about what your clients need and what the industry has to offer.

1. Find top suppliers that will work with large animal producers to find cost-effective animal health solutions.

2. Purchase pet medications, maintenance drugs and vaccines to meet the needs of a variety of small animal patients.

3. Work with clients who choose to get their veterinary medications from veterinary pharmaceutical websites.

Buy the bulk of your generic veterinary drugs from wholesale suppliers

Purchase from bulk animal pharmaceutical suppliers to stock up on standard generic antibiotics, anthelmintics and analgesic veterinary drugs. Sites on the Internet that are maintained by the large pharmaceutical companies suggest that only name-brand products can adequately treat your patients, but when it comes to standard pet drugs, many veterinarians use human generics in an off-label application when they're the bioequivalent of a more expensive name brand veterinary drug. As a result, some suppliers of wholesale veterinary pharmaceuticals will carry the human generic equivalent drugs that manufacturers do not offer.
Try:  Browse the livestock drug, dog medications and cat solutions available at Henry Schein. Offer livestock producer’s professional compounding services with MWI Vet Supply's Pharmacy Solutions, or order from Miller Vet Supply by manufacturer listing.

Partner with veterinary pharmaceuticals manufacturers for top-shelf drugs and services

Dispensing veterinary pharmaceuticals requires a depth of drug knowledge that most doctors can barely get through continuing education seminars, much less convey to their clinic staff members. Work with sales professionals in the pharmaceutical research and development industry to get free education for your staffers, sample vet drugs for your clinic and personal animals, and substantial sales and volume-buying discounts you can use to increase your bottom line.
Try:  Merial Pharmaceuticals provides dog medication, vaccines, dental care products and parasite prophylactics such as Heartgard and Frontline. The company offers bulk-discount sales throughout the year on its various products, as well as client communications, free product offers and client and staff education that is arguably the best in the industry. Veterinary pharmaceutical giant Bayer Animal Health manufactures Advantage for Cats and K9 Advantix for dogs, as well as the industry-leading fluoroquinolone Baytril. Get Cestex and Clavamox directly from the source by shopping with Pfizer Animal Health.

Work with clients who prefer to buy discount pet drugs from online pharmacies

Increase client compliance when prescribing a treatment drug, dogs' heartworm or flea preventive medication, or maintenance meds by giving your clients freedom to choose a discount pharmacy. Online pharmacies must maintain non-resident pharmacy licenses in most states to dispense pet medicines, and they must maintain the veterinarian-client-patient relationship by obtaining a veterinarian's approval for every pet prescription.
Try:  Your clients may choose to purchase their dogs' medication from 1-800-Pet-Meds.com, Drs. Foster and Smith or PetCareRx.

• Price your medication for dogs - and all other species of pet and large animal - to keep your pharmacy competitive with online companies and safeguard the doctor-patient-client relationship you've worked so hard to build. Offer price matching to your clients, but require that they bring in a printout from the online pharmacy they would have used, complete with shipping costs. In many cases, your clients will be surprised to learn that they would have paid more for their pets' medications through an online pharmacy than they will ultimately pay for your personal attention and availability.