Sunday, September 9, 2012

Arizona Veterinary Board Compounding Answers

The Arizona Veterinary Medical  Examining Board Scratching Post Newsletter dated February 2012 contained the following questions and answers regarding compounding:

This was submitted by an attorney that presented this Information to the Board at their December 21, 2011
meeting. The Board has not adopted policies to address or enforce these interpretations.

Q: Why are some pharmacies willing to sell bulk compounds for veterinary hospital dispensing and others are
not?

A:  The pharmacists may not be aware that the clinic is dispensing the medications for clients to take home, or the pharmacy may be unfamiliar with the laws governing this practice.

Q: What If I am not reselling the compounded medication, rather I am providing the take-home portion of a compounded medication that was  obtained from a pharmacy free of charge?

A: Both reselling and dispensing at no-fee are restricted to the practice of pharmacy in Arizona.

Q: Does this mean that veterinarians must write a prescription for 100% of the compounded medications
used to treat animals outside of the clinic?

A:  Yes

Q: Does this mean that veterinarians are restricted from sending a small quantity of compounded medications home with the patient to cover the period of time between the patient’s visit and the
pharmacy’s filling of the prescription?

A: Yes

Q: What if my practice works exclusively with rescued animals that are under foster care, can a pharmacy
provide my practice with pro-made compounded medications to send to the foster homes?

A: No. Even fostered animals cared for outside of the clinic or hospital require the veterinarian to arrange for a pharmacy to fill the prescription.

Q: What If there is an acute  need for a compounded medication and the animal cannot wait?

A: Most specialty pharmacies that provide compounding services understand these challenges and provide emergency services. The specialty pharmacies can also arrange for delivery of medications to rural areas, usually within 24 hours. Collaborating with a trained veterinary pharmacy specialist can often provide
the veterinarian with several options during emergency situations to accommodate acute needs.

Q: Can the State of Arizona update the veterinary practice act to address this issue?

A: The legislature does a have process and the power to expand the veterinary practice to show veterinarians more options as they pertain to compounding services.

 
COMPOUNDED MEDICATIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Submitted by Roger Morris

Source is found here

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