While we respect your right to choose where to fill your pet’s prescriptions, we believe it is important to inform you about the potential risks associated with ordering from third-party pharmacies (such as Chewy, 1800PetMeds, Allivet, Amazon, Costco, etc.). Although many of these pharmacies provide convenient access to your pet’s medications and are accredited, they are generally not considered authorized distributors of veterinary medications. This can lead to problems with maintaining the manufacturer’s warranty on various products, including prescription medications, preventive treatments, food, and over-the-counter items.
At Fauna, we truly value you as a client, and our commitment extends to protecting your privacy and data. We want to ensure you are aware that many third-party pharmacies may not adhere to the same privacy standards. Concerns have been raised about their practices in handling, managing, and potentially selling your personal information, which violates our privacy policy.
We recommend being cautious and ensuring that your chosen pharmacy meets the necessary requirements to provide safe and effective products for your furry friends. Your pet’s health is our top priority!
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Per state law, your pet must be a current patient of ours and been seen within the last year to purchase prescription medications.
The manufacturer’s warranty protects your pet in the event there is a product failure, adverse reaction, or recall. As long as the product was given as it was intended, the manufacturer is liable to pay for any required treatments.
One of the primary reasons third-party corporate pharmacies can offer such drastic price reductions is their ability to buy in bulk. While we stan a good deal, many of these pharmacies do not store these products appropriately, reducing the product’s efficacy, which is why the manufacturer won’t guarantee them.
Each manufacturer specifies in their warranty that products must be purchased directly from a veterinarian or through a valid prescription from an approved online distributor. By using the services of many third-party pharmacies, you may inadvertently waive your right to these important warranties. For instance, a 2017 SEC filing from a major veterinary online pharmacy, 1800PetMeds, states: “We currently purchase a portion of our prescription and non-prescription medications from third-party distributors, and we are not an authorized distributor of these products.” Moreover, the terms of service from two different online pharmacies, Allivet and Chewy, clearly indicate the limitations regarding warranties:
These statements highlight the risks associated with purchasing pet medications from unauthorized sources, which may leave you, the pet owner, without coverage for any product-related issues.
Before choosing a third-party pharmacy, consider the risks. While prices may appear lower, issues with products could outweigh those savings. We can also help you access manufacturer rebates that aren’t usually available through third-party pharmacies. Here are some other key benefits of using our in-house or online pharmacy:
By choosing our pharmacy, you ensure better care for your pet while supporting your local veterinary practice.
We understand and respect your decision, and we appreciate that you need to choose what’s best for you and your pet. However, we want to clarify that we do not communicate directly with third-party pharmacies. The time spent managing multiple paper prescriptions, phone calls, and emails is overwhelming for our small team. By not engaging with them directly, we can dedicate more time and resources to focusing on your pet’s care. We’ll happily provide you with a written prescription that you can pick up in person. Unfortunately, we are unable to send prescriptions electronically as human medical offices do, but you can then share your script with the third-party pharmacy of your choice. Please allow us at least one business day to prepare your prescription for pickup. Thank you for your understanding!
You may have received some communication suggesting this might be the case. Please know that it’s likely not accurate, and it appears to be a scare tactic aimed at persuading you to switch to a corporate clinic that works directly with third-party pharmacies.