Can pharmacists provide professional services to veterinary patients, such as prescribing to renew or adapt a prescription, or for a minor ailment?
Pharmacy professionals may dispense or compound drugs pursuant to a prescription issued by a veterinarian for an animal, provided they have the knowledge and skills to do so safely and in accordance with the Standards of Practice. The Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act (which governs dispensing and compounding by pharmacy professionals) defines ‘prescription’ as “a direction from a prescriber for the dispensing of any drug or mixture of drugs for a designated person or animal.” Importantly, the patient is the animal, not the owner/client, and collaboration between veterinarians and pharmacists is essential for the safety of their animal patients when providing these services.
However, it is important to recognize that additional factors are necessary to consider since the use of a drug in humans cannot be equated to the use of the same drug in animals1. Differences in the anatomy and physiology of animals can result in differences in a drug’s pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties and species-specific toxicities. The provision of care to animals requires specialized training and knowledge, and pharmacists have a professional responsibility to acknowledge when they lack sufficient competency to provide this service.
Other professional pharmacy services, such as prescribing (I.e., initiating, adapting, and renewing prescriptions) or administering substances, are governed by the Pharmacy Act. Regulations under this act define ‘prescription’ as “a direction from a prescriber directing the dispensing of a drug or mixture of drugs for a specific patient” without including ‘animal’. It presents a significant risk to animals for a pharmacist to provide care beyond the dispensing or compounding of a veterinary prescription. As such, the regulations that include these services in a pharmacist’s scope of practice, such as the recent change permitting prescribing for minor ailments, apply only to human patients.
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