30/08/2021
Q&As with CEO and Founder of OPON, Veterinarian Dr. Howard Covant. We're sharing questions that we received, so that others can learn about the pet industry in the province and the Ontario Pet Owners Network
QUESTION: I am interested in finding out how to purchase my dogs’ medications at a lower price.
J. W.
ANSWER: Thank you for your enquiry. The Ontario Pet Owners Network (OPON) has been developed specifically for pet owners like you to have a reputable and reliable source to turn to for pet related matters in Ontario. Your question has both a long and short answer. For the short answer, go to the end of this response.
The long answer:
Supply and distribution of your pets’ medications in Ontario are controlled by animal pharmaceutical manufacturers and veterinary supply companies who have enacted corporate policies that restrict their sales to veterinarians. Legally, your pets’ medications can be sold anywhere human medications are available, and because Pharmacists have a different business model than Veterinarians, the same identical product purchased through pharmacies typically sells for far less, saving many pet owners hundreds of dollars a year. The problem, Pharmacists cannot obtain a legal and reliable source of product to offer pet owners. Through these corporate policies Veterinarians have become both the prescriber and exclusive source of your pets’ medicines. In human medicine the prescriber and supplier of the medications have been separated specifically to avoid a conflict of interest, not so with pet medications.
Currently, pharmacists interested in selling pet medications in Ontario must seek out veterinarians who are sympathetic towards pet owners’ plight and willing to supply products to them. This presents an issue to veterinary clinic owners, in which up to 30% of their revenue is generated through medication and food sales (OVMA economic survey) and simply stated, sales to pharmacies threatens their bottom line.
What may really bring your blood to a boil is that the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO), a body that regulates veterinarians in the province for the protection of the public, has amended regulations in what appears to be a veiled attempt to prevent ‘rogue’ veterinarians from reselling medications to pharmacists, hence stemming the ‘leakage’ of pet medicine revenues. If the regulation is allowed to remain in place, pharmacies will lose their only supply source and pet owners will lose their freedom for choice in source and price over their pets’ medications, essentially establishing a Pet Drug Cartel.
If you feel like I do, that your pets health comes first, before veterinary revenues, then I implore you to join our cause. The cold reality is that we need your help to spread the word that the Ontario Pet Owners Network is here to help you, the pet owner. Only with numbers can we convince the CVO to change their new regulation to favour pet owners and not veterinarians. That is supposed to be their job. Please join and pass it on.
The short answer:
Pet medications are available at your veterinarian and through many pet pharmacies, both with brick and mortar locations and on-line. Veterinarians are required by law to provide pet owners with a written or oral prescription for their pets’ medication upon request. There can be a small fee for this service. You can have the prescription filled at any of these pet pharmacies, for now.
The College of Veterinarians o Ontario, an organization run by veterinarians, has changed regulations essentially establishing a Pet Drug Cartel to retain veterinary exclusivity on your pets medication, thereby controlling price and access. If pet owners wish to continue having a choice of where to buy their pets’ medications in the future, then you must write to the College of Veterinarian of Ontario s and voice your opinion! Address your comments to [email protected]
If you wish to have your rights as a pet owner represented to government, big corporate companies and pet associations, then join our network at OPON.ca
Dr. H. Covant
