Whether it is appropriate for a vet to prescribe your pet’s medicine without first seeing him is a complicated question. The answer depends on the type of medication and your pet’s needs. While the law allows a veterinarian to prescribe medications for your pet without seeing him, there are still some rules you need to follow. For example, the last exam date must be at least 6 months old. A valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship must be established and the VCPR must be current.
In order to be able to prescribe medication without seeing your pet, your veterinarian must have a recent veterinary-client-patient relationship. Furthermore, Internet pharmacies are not allowed to prescribe or refill medications without seeing your animal. Moreover, the FDA cracks down on Internet pharmacies that do not see your pet. Nevertheless, it is best to consult a lawyer before giving your pet any type of medication.
The same holds true for human medications. Unlike the prescriptions issued by veterinarians, you should never administer human medications to your pet. Such drugs may be toxic for animals and could have dangerous side effects. Besides, a pet may develop allergies to certain ingredients of the human medicines, which can cause side effects in both animals and humans. Besides, this could lead to improper management of your condition.
Before a veterinarian can legally prescribe any medications, he must first perform a physical examination. This is especially true if you cannot physically see the patient. It is not ethical to prescribe medications without seeing the patient. This is because the veterinarian should have the information and knowledge to perform a thorough examination. Additionally, he must do all necessary diagnostic tests to properly diagnose your pet. If you do not, you might end up paying more for the medicine than is necessary.
