Medications and Your Pet’s Eye Condition
Medications for your pet’s eye conditions can be purchased here, as well as through local, internet and “big box” store pharmacies. We are more than happy to provide you with a written prescription if you wish to purchase your medications elsewhere as we are unable to call in prescriptions to outside pharmacies. We are unable to provide written prescriptions for any controlled substances.
As a local small business, we cannot always compete with prices of online or big box pharmacies or even a local veterinarian that is part of a larger corporate enterprise. However, for your convenience and the safety of your pet, Animal Eye Care carries almost all of the medications that we prescribe for ocular disease so that the day of your appointment you have the medications you need to start treatments right away.
In some cases, a specifically made or “compounded” medication may be indicated for your pet’s treatment. While Animal Eye Care carries many of the most commonly used sterile ophthalmic medications, in some cases, we may need to work directly with a compounding pharmacy to fulfill your pet’s prescription. In such cases, you will receive the medication directly from the compounded pharmacy at a later time then your actual visit. See a list of our trusted compounded pharmacies below. Refills of your pet’s medication, after the initial bottle provided by Animal Eye Care can also be obtained directly from a compounding pharmacy, and may be a cheaper alternative.
- Golden Gate Pharmacy (415) 455-5590
- RoadRunner Pharmacy (623) 434-1180
- Stokes Pharmacy (800) 754-5222
- Wedgewood Pharmacy (800) 331-8272
If you choose to purchase a compounded medication elsewhere we are happy to provide you with a prescription. We do advise you try to determine a few things about the pharmacy you choose to work with 1) that it is a pharmacy which is accredited and licensed to sell medications in CA and 2) that the medications are safe: sterile, contain the proper concentration of the drug, will be stable and are compounded in non-irritating vehicles. For example, it is very important that your pet’s compounded medications are sterile as we don’t want to have bacterial contamination of the eye!
Please note, that whenever you are getting any compounded medication directly from a compounding pharmacy, up to a 6 week delay may occur as a result of quality control testing required by the state of California. Due to this rigorous testing, not all formulations made by compounded pharmacies are available in California.
Any medication can have side effects. Topical medications can sometimes be irritating (but animals often adjust to this after a few treatments). Oral medications can sometimes cause gastrointestinal upset or may be hard to give (especially in cats!). Our staff will show you how to give medications and can provide tips on how to successfully accomplish treatments! We also strive to warn you about potential complications of your pet’s prescribed medications and to educate you about what to look for but please call us if you suspect an adverse reaction.
Just like any pharmacy, we cannot take back medications that have been dispensed due to legal restrictions on medication handling. Sometimes a long course of oral antibiotics are needed. Please let us know if you would like a smaller amount of an oral antibiotic prescription initially to see how your pet will tolerate it and then if all goes well you can pick up the remaining amount to finish the entire course of treatment.
Regarding refills:
Due to state and federal law, we are unable to provide refills on prescriptions if we have not seen your pet within one calendar year. For some medications, especially topical steroids, a recheck may be needed before we can refill a prescription, for your pet’s safety. We are committed to working with you and your primary care veterinarian as a team to care for your animal companion, so please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.