I’m not sure how your pharmacy works, but I know at mine I can drop in pretty much any time of the day and have my prescription filled within 15-30 minutes.  I love the convenience, since I have a terrible tendency to forget to call ahead.  Why, then, will our receptionists tell you that you need to give us here at Truro Vet 24 hours notice?  Why can’t we offer you the same convenience?

The answer to those questions involves the big difference between a dedicated human pharmacy and our small veterinary pharmacy in our hospital.  By definition a pharmacist is a person licensed to prepare and dispense drugs and medicines.  Human pharmacists are highly trained professionals whose job it is to safely prepare and dispense your medications, being alert for possible side effects and counseling you as needed.

In our hospital, veterinary prescriptions are prepared and dispensed by Veterinary Technicians and Assistants.  They are also highly trained and can provide you with valuable information regarding your pet’s prescription.  However, they have very broad job descriptions relating to all aspects of the hospital, not just the pharmacy.

For example, if you call (or drop by) on a Thursday morning to have your prescription refilled, we will have one technician and one assistant working.  Since we do surgical procedures on Thursdays, they will have at least one, possibly two patients under anesthetic.  Those patients need care and monitoring to ensure they have a safe surgery and recovery.  The technician may also have bloodwork waiting for them to examine under the microscope. If we have sick patients in hospital, the assistant may be administering medications and providing them comfort.  As you can see, filling your prescription within a short time frame may take our attention away from patients who need care.

The other consideration is that our pharmacy is a very small area of our whole hospital.  Some medications we may only be able to stock in small quantities, while others may be only available by ordering ahead.  Please ask us if your pet’s medication falls into one of these categories.

We hope that this will help you understand why we must ask for your patience when it comes to getting your pet’s prescriptions refilled.  The more notice you can provide, the better able we are to meet your needs without compromising someone else’s.  If you have any questions about medications or refills, please give us a call at 893-2341.