Respectfully submitted by: Sarah Iannacone Third year pharmacy student working with Dr. Drew Olson at Essential Pharmacy Compounding (EPC).
One of the great things about being part of Essential Pharmacy Compounding is that we are also part of the retail pharmacy chain, Kohll’s Pharmacy and Homecare, consisting of 9 locations spanning two states. We learn from our retail pharmacists what questions they have regarding veterinarian prescriptions so we can help educate the entire team on those concerns.
Recently, Dr. Olson and I visited all of our retail locations educating them on veterinary medicine and resources to use. During our visits to the retail stores we brought with us to show the pharmacists Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook. Most pharmacists have never seen or heard of this book before. One question that was brought up quite frequently was the dosing of tramadol and levothyroxine in dogs. Most pharmacists are alarmed by the high dosing that is required for dogs with these two medications, some will call the veterinarian office to confirm the dose.
Our visits were very educational not only for our pharmacists but also for Dr. Olson and I to see where the confusion lies. When working with retail pharmacies it is important to remember that not everyone has heard of Plumb’s or is comfortable with dispensing medications for animal patients. Here at EPC we work with all of our locations to ensure everyone is comfortable and educated in our vet team resources. We know your time is valuable and we want to ensure the most quality care for our patients.