My career goal is becoming a veterinarian. Veterinarians take care of people’s pet(s) and spend their days around animals. In the veterinary field, it’s not so glamorous and full of cuddles because throughout their career they realize that there are certain things you can’t control like saving every pet. Veterinarians need steady hands, and they have to be capable of working under pressure.
However, there is a variety of ways veterinarians contribute to the community from a private or cooperate clinical practices to public health, military services, and other professional fields. They help protect, treat, and diagnose animals by providing veterinary care to a wide range of species. Vets find ways to treat or prevent human health disorders as well. They test for diseases that could harm human health, animals, and our food supply by supervising international or interstate shipment of animals. Recently, there was a bill called, Fairness to Pet Owner’s Act that was reintroduced earlier of 2018. While AVMA and Dr. Lee are against the bill, others like Congressman Chris Collins and APAW support the bill. Prime Vet Animal Hospital is Switzerland. American Veterinary Medical Association is also known as AVMA. AVMA is a non-profit organization founded in 1863. They are the leading advocate for the veterinary profession. They provide accreditations and certifications.
The American Veterinary Medical Association are against the Fairness to Pet Owner’s Act. Their reasons are there is no flexibility for clients because it becomes nonnegotiable for a written prescription (AVMA.com). That also includes prescriptions only through the vet. Clients will now have to wait on a written prescription which becomes an inconvenience for them (AVMA.com). According to AVMA, it’ll create unnecessary paperwork resulting in slower care, less availability, and higher pet cost. AVMA perceives this introduced act as a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist because most clients receive a prescription by simply asking. AVMA principle of veterinary ethics is “Veterinarians shall provide written prescription when asked.” Majority of states abide by similar laws and policies as well (AVMA.com). Mandates is not the way to achieve client access to prescription (AVMA). Doctor Justine Lee is a certified veterinarian who opposes the Fairness to Pet Owner’s Act.
Doctor Lee is a certified vet specialist in emergency critical care and toxicologists. Justine graduated with a bachelors in animal science at Virginia Tech and a vet degree at Cornell University. She is a criticalist at Animal Emergency Referral Center of Minnesota and Consultant for Elevate DVM, and ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. This bill will involve a written prescription whether or not requested by clients (Dr. Lee). It’ll also prohibit vets from charging for prescriptions or asking clients to sign a liability waiver in regards to writing a prescription (Dr. Lee). Doctor Lee’s biggest concern about the passing of this bill is countless errors made by human pharmacist messy up, or misfiling pet medications. These mishaps result in accidental poisoning, severe toxicity, and underdosing (Dr. Lee). APAW, however, is for the passing of the Fairness to Pet Owner’s Act. They are an advocacy for pet owners, pets, and affordable wellness. They support people who care about keeping their pets healthy. It is stated by APAW that the passing of this bill will ensure a copy of your pet’s prescription and give the client the choice to shop around for reasonable prices. For those who struggle with money, it’ll help eliminate prescription fees from some vet clinics including buying for less at a licensed pharmacy (APAW.com).
To APAW this bill will eliminate delays and misleading legal releases such as signing a waiver prior to providing a prescription. Overall, APAW believes that this bill will protect clients by law. The Fairness to Pet Owner’s Act was reintroduced on April 11, 2018, by Congressman Chris Collins (chriscollin.house.gov). Congressman Chris Collins represents the New York 27th congressional district in the house of representatives. He is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Collins is an entrepreneur and a business owner with experience in private and public sectors. The reintroduced bill was to reduce the cost of medication for pets (chriscollins.house.gov). Collins believes the bill offers flexibility to buy generic medication online, or at a pharmacy. According to Chris Collins, owners will save more than two hundred dollars annually. He believes benefits should be more accessible. While other sources are against or for the bill passing, Prime Vet Animal Hospital is a neutral party related to the Fairness to Pet Owner’s Act (primevet.com). Prime Vet is a highly recommended animal hospital in Florida that provides a variety of services and information on their website blog. Florida statutes chapter 474 veterinary medical practice, already states veterinarians to punitive actions if they fail to offer a written prescription upon request (primevet.com). More than seventy percent of states have laws or similar policies in places that require a written prescription upon the client asking.
At Prime Vet they support pet owner’s right to fill prescriptions at their preferred licensed location. Both sides propose a valid reason for debate (primevet.com). Those who oppose say there’s a risk of an increase in cost for veterinary care. Those who support the bill will give pharmacies a chance to challenge other pet owner businesses resulting in cheaper pet prescriptions (primevet.com). According to Prime Vet, they believe clients are entitled to their rights whether that means more legal protection is needed or state statutes provide adequate protection. Doctor Patty Khuly VMD is a veterinarian in Miami, Florida, that disagrees with the Fairness to Per Owner’s Act. According to Dr. Khuly, your average pharmacist is not trained in animal drugs. There are possibilities of serious drug interactions, misleading and overdosing issues, and the keeping up with inactive ingredients (vetstreet.com). Your everyday shopping places that offer medication for your pets are not always in the best interest for your pet. For older pets who take mixed medications, it’s better to go through your vet clinic (vetstreet.com). This bill will affect veterinarians financially from how they pay for lights, phones, staff and worker’s compensation insurance (vetstreet.com). Patty is one of many other veterinarians who already provide clients benefits intended with the law. She is also another vet who feels that she should be attending to her patients then wasting her time with more administrative tasks. Although Dr. Khuly does right by her clients, there are some vets that are like bad apples that spoil the tree. These bad apples, unwilling to do the right thing, by giving clients a choice as to where to buy medication for their pets which have led to the reintroduced Fairness to Pet Owner’s Act.
American Veterinary Medical Association believes that the passing of the Fairness to Pet Owner’s act is not the way to meet customer access to medications. Dr. Justine Lee’s opinion is there’s a higher risk of toxicity, and harm caused to pets when purchasing medication through those who are not trained in animal drugs. Advocacy for Pets and Affordable Wellness states that the bill will provide protection by law for pet owners. Congressman Chris Collins wants the bill to pass so that providing a written prescription is nonnegotiable for vets which allow customers to purchase cheaper medications in-store or online besides the vet clinic. Prime Vet Animal Hospital supports a pet owner’s right to fill medication by either clinic or pharmacy. Dr. Patty Khuly believes it will create a negative chain of reaction. After reading the reasons to support or be against this bill, I have become more interested in learning more about why it’s risky to purchase pet medication outside of the clinic.
