Occasionally i receive the odd request from a client for a written prescription for a special food. This is odd to me since there really is no such thing as a prescription food, despite the fact that Hill’s has trademarked the brand name “Hill’s Prescription Diet.” The FDA has no regulatory control over animal feeds and the term “prescription food” really just refers to foods that are sold “exclusively” through veterinarians and animal hospitals. These foods are designed to aid in the treatment of various diseases ranging from chronic kidney disease to inflammatory bowel disease to food allergies to cancer to obesity. They often are not recommended as maintenance diets for otherwise healthy pets, thus their limited distribution through channels which [hopefully] include a veterinarian to help select the right food for the right pet and the right disease.
So what else out there does NOT technically require a prescription from a doctor?
- Most topical flea and tick treatments, including Advantage, K9 Advantix and Frontline Plus. These are over the counter insecticides, regulated by the EPA, not the FDA. However, some of the newer broad spectrum topical insecticides such as Revolution and Advantage Multi do require a script.
- Capstar is over the counter.
- Program tablets and suspension (but not the injectable version) are over the counter
- Hypertonic saline ophthalmic ointment is surprisingly not a prescription medication, but the pharmacists always keep it behind the counter and it really shouldn’t be used except under the direction of a doctor.
- Cosequin, Dasuquin, Welactin, FortiFlora, Viralys and every other nutritional supplement is over the counter
- Insulin is an interesting one -I’ve seen many pharmacies dispense Humulin without a prescription …but you’ll definitely need a script for the syringes and needles.
- Famotidine tablets in their 10mg and 20mg strengths are available over the counter, but the liquid suspension is not.
I’m sure there are more that I can’t think of on a Friday afternoon! Feel free to add to the list in the comments section.
And remember, always keep your veterinarian in the loop when using ANY medication that he/she is not dispensing directly to you.
August 30th, 2010 - 8:57 pm
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