“A prescription drug is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription….In the United States, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act defines what requires a prescription. Prescription drugs are generally authorized by veterinarians, dentists, optometrists, and medical practitioners.” (Source Wikipedia).
Okay, most of us understand that a prescription only drug has to be prescribed in order for you to obtain it, use it, etc… Did you know that most topical pesticides such as Advantage and K-9 Advantix flea and tick prevention products are not required by law to be prescribed?
Pharmaceutical companies have for many years teamed up with veterinarians to market their products exclusively in order to increase sales for the pharmaceutical company and increase profits for the veterinarian hospital.
In a bold and I feel honest move, “Bayer Animal Health announced Tuesday an end to its decades-old policy of selling Advantage and K-9 Advantix flea and tick prevention products exclusively through veterinarians. Citing ongoing consumer demand for more convenient access, the company said it will sell its parasiticides directly to pet specialty retailers and pet specialty Internet sites beginning in March.”
Reading a recent article over at VIN, I was shocked by some of the veterinarians reactions, several reportedly stated that as a result they would cease carrying the Bayer products from fear this move would decrease their profits.
These reactions and the practice of selling/marketing non-prescription products as “prescription only” creates several questions.
- If a clinic is pushing a particular pesticide such as Advantage exclusively, is it because they really believe in the efficacy of the product ?
- Or is the profit margin the real motivator? With some veterinarians threatening to drop Bayer simply because other retailers will be able to sell the product implies to me that profit margin not product efficacy as the main motivator.
- Will Bayer’s move to sell their products openly lower prices ? Maybe.
- Marketing or insinuating that a product is “prescription only” is not only accepted but expected in the veterinarian community ?
One Veterinarian wrote “I hope that Bayer understands that losing their highly educated, motivated and dedicated free sales force may have long-term impacts on their business, and it may be difficult for them to regain the trust of the profession“.
Free sales force? I don’t want to think of my veterinarian as a sales man! I want to trust that when he writes me a prescription it is because he believes that the drug is the best medication to treat my animal, not because he only carries the drug because a pharmaceutical company gave him a great price or promised him exclusivity.
I want the veterinarian who wrote “Pesticides are a nice source of income, but I will not live or die on those sales…. I will continue to dispense and recommend the products that I feel are the most useful…“. I wish I believed this poster represented a majority but from reading through the comments and years of observation I believe this world of “make believe prescriptions” and sense of deserved exclusivity has really permeated the veterinarian culture.
- How many other products fall into this world of “make believe prescriptions”?
- How does this falsehood affect client / doctor relations?
- Do “make believe prescriptions” facilitate honesty?
I understand that a large portion of any hospitals income is derived from products not only pharmaceuticals but dog food, toys, etc.. but to create a world of “make believe prescriptions” that forces clients to only purchase a particular product from you?
Just my thoughts 
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