Beginning May 1st, 2020
Head to Tail Animal Hospital will no longer process orders for medications or preventatives sent directly to us from online suppliers. Clients who order through online suppliers will need to pick up a written prescription for those medications to provide to the online supplier directly.
Why Are We Making This Change?
Head to Tail Animal Hospital strives to provide the best care for you and your pet. We know your pet’s medical history, and our doctors are personally vested in providing the absolute best care to your pet. By directly authorizing medication from an online retailer, we are giving our approval of that particular medication from that particular online retailer as safe and appropriate. Because of the way in which almost all non-accredited online suppliers operate, we cannot guarantee that an online big box seller is going to act in the best interest of your pet, our patient. Our doctors need to know that medications you receive are the exact medication they are prescribing in the proper dosage and that those medications were stored and shipped as mandated by the manufacturer. We would feel terrible should we have even a passive part in causing harm to your pet, our patient, because an online supplier misrepresented, improperly stored or handled a medication. Not to mention there is the very real possibility that you could receive counterfeit medication when buying from a non-accredited online supplier.
Letting You Make The Choice
Our doctors want to be very clear in saying that their recommendation is that you purchase products only from a properly accredited and certified veterinary pharmacy. We understand that there are many reasons that our clients may want to purchase medications from big box stores online and we want you to make the most informed decision for your pet. We would hope that you order medications and preventatives from our own online store that you can access via Our Online Pharmacy. Our online store is an accredited and certified pharmacy and has continually held the Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites™ (Vet-VIPPS) seal, a rigorous accreditation program administered through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®). This ensures our clients they are buying safe medications and medical devices from a licensed, regulated pharmacy in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws as well as national pharmacy standards. Because our online store is part of our clinic infrastructure you will not need a written prescription if you order from our online store. However, if you choose to buy medications from somewhere other than a certified veterinary pharmacy, we want to give you that option should you choose to do so.
Support Our Small Business
We understand that cost is a big reason that our clients purchase from non-accredited suppliers. We do our very best to make our medications and preventatives affordable and we routinely compare prices online providers to make sure that our prices are competitive. In fact, many of our preventatives come with free shipping and you can have products on your doorstep within a day or two of ordering. Our, “Easy Dose It” program allows you to have single doses of heartworm and flea/tick preventatives shipped monthly for however many months you choose. You pay for the product as you go, there is no cost for shipping and the entire process is completely controlled by you and only you. Most importantly, by purchasing from our online store, you are supporting our local business here in Port Jefferson Station. Rather than send your dollars off to a big box company, we would hope that you would choose to support our business and shop locally.
Our Guarantee To You and Your Pet
Our online store’s supply chain is 100% secure. From the time the medication you order is manufactured, all the way to when you are going to give it to your pet, it has been handled, stored and packaged in compliance with manufacturer guidelines. The product you receive is guaranteed to be the name-brand medication in the proper dosage and packaging. Medications you purchase from our online store are guaranteed by the product’s manufacturer and most importantly by us, your pet’s Veterinarian. Our doctors know your pet’s medical history and we want our patients to get the highest quality medications to treat their individual medical needs. If there are ever any questions or problems, our staff will personally handle the issue and resolve it to your satisfaction. The bottom line is we always want what’s best for your pet, but also want you to have the freedom to order medications or products from wherever you choose.
If you have questions about our change in policy, please contact us at 631-928-6694.
Thank you for trusting us with your pet’s medical care, we are always here for you should you need us.
Felicia Cohen, DVM & the Staff of Head to Tail Animal Hospital