The use of veterinary specials is becoming common practice, but there are still a number of vets unknowingly putting the welfare of pets at risk by splitting or crushing medication to get the desired dose.
In-house scientist at Nova Laboratories, Mike Edge, said: “Dosing depends on the size of the animal and splitting or crushing medication at a vet practice will not achieve the desired therapeutic dose. The animal may be overdosed which increases the risks of side effects or under-dosed, which could have a detrimental impact on their survival.
“A special should be preferred when the veterinary surgeon considers that the route of administration, strength or formulation of a regular medicine is inappropriate to treat a condition.”
Six key principles for the procurement of specials
- Build relations – It’s essential to trust your specials supplier because time is often of the essence. Be sure to work with a supplier you can rely on.
- Technical support – Utilise the technical support available from your specials supplier and speak to their expert customer service teams and in-house scientists for advice and guidance. They will be able to tell you if there’s a licensed option available or recommend adjustments to formulations.
- Range of products – Keep a record of manufacturers that are able to fulfil certain prescriptions to avoid having to contact multiple manufacturers each time. Try to use a supplier who can cover all bases to save on admin.
- Quality guarantee and reduce risk – Ask about the end-to-end process. Is the product made and tested in-house? Ask for evidence that the product meets appropriate standards. This will help assure you and the patient that the special is compliant and made to the highest quality.
- Speed – How quickly can the special be made? If the product is made and tested in-house then the turnaround will be quicker.
- Authorisation – Obtain specials only from reputable manufacturers that hold a Manufacturing Extemporaneous Products (Specials) Authorisation from the VMD.
To learn more, visit Nova laboratories on stand 13 at the Official Vet Conference
