Broader access to portable prescriptions, wider access by non-veterinary retailers to supplies and a greater choice of generic drugs could all help the pet-medicine market, concluded a recent report by the Federal Trade Commission.
"The 121-page document stands as a polite rebuke to an established policy by many of the largest veterinary drug manufacturers to sell medications exclusively through veterinarians," an article about the subject read on The VIN New Service website.
The report also bring attention to the problem of portable prescriptions for pet medicines, saying that while a majority of states have rules dealing with the subject, they are not widely available.
" Yet complaints persist that some veterinarians do not always comply with requests for prescriptions, and the extent to which these requirements are enforced by state veterinary boards is unclear," the report reads. "Furthermore, anecdotal evidence indicates that some consumers either are not aware that they can receive a portable prescription upon request from their veterinarian, or may be uncomfortable asking for one.”
