Protecting veterinarians’ access to compounded veterinary medicines for emergency use

Compounded medications allow us the flexibility to treat all sizes of cats and dogs, having them on hand means we can help our patients 24/7

Prohibiting stocking compounded drugs for emergency use will have a harmful impact on animal welfare as well as the ability of veterinarians to initiate certain treatments in a timely fashion. It is difficult to understand the reasoning behind it given these are the same medications that we can currently prescribe to animals with an individual script.

Increasingly, appropriate medication to treat a variety of common ailments is either completely unavailable through regular sources or not in a useful, pet or client friendly, presentation. Compounding such medication is the only way to obtain what is often life saving therapy. To prevent access to medication in a timely manner undermines the role and partnership of both pharmacist and veterinarian and seeking to prevent the emergency supply of medicines as proposed in the new regulation has no basis in fact and makes no sense.

We have seen a rise in behavioural cases over the past 2 years and access to compounded medication is vital to their treatment

This will severely detriment any and all use of medications for in clinic emergent use. Taking away this ability will put strain on not only our clinics, but pass on the burden to Clients and the public to have to wait for specific medications for their animals through individual prescription, this is not appropriate in a time sensitive situation. In already a tough public view, the veterinary industry cannot tolerate further pressure that this will lead to, as public client perception and anger will be placed on the clinic and staff.

We use this service to medications on hand should we required them for in-clinic use.

Availability of emergency compounded meds are an essential service to rural communities. Changes to these laws will be detrimental to alot of animal lives.

As veterinarians we need access to all forms of medications to adequately treat the great diversity of patients and conditions that we see.

We often require compounded behavioural medications for the animals in the shelter very soon on arrival because the stress of being placed in a shelter sometimes causes them to cause damage to themselves. Any delay in this would mean animals risk injuring themselves for however long we are waiting for the medication and also negatively impacts their mental wellbeing which increases the chances of them developing long term stress-related behaviours that then make them more difficult to rehome, or may even require euthanasia in extreme cases of stress

Would be lost without the ability to have compounded trazodone as an emergency use drug. It is a mainstay to reduce anxiety in aggressive dogs and make work safer for client, dog and vet staff.

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100% agree with BOVA's summary.

The only way to access some medications used in the veterinary industry (e.g. trazodone) can only be compounded. Without access, it will impede our patient care quality standard.

essential for all vet practices

Vets need to be able to access compounded medicines for emergency use.

very important for both normal general practice and emergency practices - stressed animals can be a safety risk to both staff and animals

I work in a rural regional practice that services many thousands of square kilometres. The rigmarole to access these drugs outside normal hours and await arrival of their delivery under the proposed changes will inevitably lead to deleterious delays and in a percentage of cases, deaths of patients.

There are numerous conditions requiring medication that is not commercially available or patient specific formulation

Certain medications that are only able to be accessed through a compounding pharmacy need to be in stock for emergency use to allow vets to do their job effectively. Compounding pharmacies are skilled at providing these medications in a quality form and should continue to be able to do so.

Having been a veterinarian for 28 years I am somewhat shocked that such an ill-informed proposal, as that of prohibiting compounding pharmacists from supplying emergency compounded medication to veterinarians, could be considered. This will clearly impact the health of animals needing treatment and will further negatively impact the wellbeing and mental health of pet and or livestock owners in Australia. I support permitting pharmacists to supply GMP-compliant compounded medications for emergency use.