Protecting pets and building trust through pharmacy home delivery

Veterinary professionals work hard to ensure the health and safety of the animals under their care, but a report of increased counterfeit flea treatments supplied by online retailers in the United Kingdom creates new risks for both pets and their owners. These fake products not only fail to provide the necessary treatment but can also cause severe health issues, leading to tragic outcomes for pets and financial and emotional distress for their owners. By leveraging home pharmacy delivery and emphasising the integrity of trusted supply chains, veterinary practices can improve health outcomes while creating efficiencies for their teams and increasing client loyalty.

Why are illegal medicines a problem in the United Kingdom?

Illegal medicines, often referred to as falsified medicines, are a growing concern in the veterinary industry. According to the World Health Organization, these products may contain no active ingredients, the wrong active ingredients, or incorrect dosages. They are often manufactured in unsanitary conditions, with some containing toxic chemicals or harmful impurities.

"One of the biggest risks is with general sale medicines," explains Chris McMenaman, Regulatory Affairs and Compliance Manager, MWI Animal Health. “Retailers selling these types of products don't have the same legal obligations as businesses such as veterinary wholesalers, or online pharmacies when it comes to falsified medicine checks, or supplier background checks."

A recent example highlights the dangers. A pet owner purchased a supplement from, believing it was safe, but the product turned out to be counterfeit. The pet developed renal failure and tragically had to be euthanised. This underscores the importance of educating clients about the risks associated with purchasing medications from unregulated sources.

What safeguards are in the MWI supply chain?

MWI Animal Health is committed to ensuring the integrity and safety of its supply chain, offering veterinary practices an extra layer of assurance.  Our rigorous processes protect against counterfeit medicines from entering the distribution network.

"At MWI, we perform thorough background checks on suppliers before we even begin working with them," says McMenaman. "This includes verifying their licenses, conducting financial risk assessments, and checking their legitimacy with Companies House."

Some of the key safeguards MWI has in place include:

• Inbound delivery inspections: Deliveries are monitored for anomalies, such as unbranded vehicles, incorrect paperwork, or mismatched batch numbers. Any suspicious deliveries are quarantined for investigation .
• Physical product checks: Our inbound team double checks the date and batch matches the paperwork and packaging, where appropriate, ensures security seals are intact, and confirms branding and print quality on the medicines.
• Traceability: MWI maintains full batch traceability for every product, ensuring the ability to track medicines from manufacture to delivery.
• Returns monitoring: Returns are a known risk area for counterfeit products. MWI meticulously checks returned items against original supply records to identify discrepancies.

These measures, combined with close collaboration with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, ensure that practices can confidently rely on MWI for safe and compliant medicines.

Why should pet owners buy meds from their veterinarian?

When clients buy medication from their veterinarian, they can be confident that the product is safe, effective, and appropriate for their pet's needs. Veterinarians offer medications based on the specific needs of the pet, such as their size, breed, and medical history. Over-the-counter options, such as retail-grade flea and worm treatments, often lack the efficacy of prescription-only products.

"When a client interacts directly with their veterinarian, it fosters ongoing communication,” says Gregory Hyde, Superintendent Pharmacist, MWI Animal Health. “Even a short discussion can lead to early identification of new health concerns.” 
      
However, many pet owners are tempted to purchase medications from online or big-box retailers, drawn by the perception of lower prices. Veterinary practices can address this challenge by emphasizing the value and safety they provide.

“Pet owners often assume online retail platforms are safe, but they don’t realise these products often come from third-party sellers with no accountability," McMenaman explains.

Unsafe or ineffective medicines can lead to costly health issues or in the worst-case scenarios, fatalities. Helping clients understand the potential financial and emotional toll of these risks reinforces the value of purchasing from a trusted source.

Home pharmacy services from the veterinarian offer the same convenience as online retailers but with the added assurance of a trusted supply chain and veterinary oversight. Adding in a home pharmacy component to your practice can be a great source of client loyalty and time savings. The demand is certainly there. A recent survey of veterinary clients in the U.K. shows 69 percent would sign up for a home delivery service if it was offered to them.

Why should veterinarians offer home pharmacy?

Home pharmacy services can save practices significant time by offloading routine tasks like dispensing and managing prescriptions. MWI's home delivery service is available through leading pet health plan providers, and we are the key fulfilment partner for Vetsource.

"Dispensing medications in-house takes up valuable time," says Melissa Burgess, Pharmacy Team Leader, MWI Animal Health. "Staff spend hours packing, labelling, and chasing clients for uncollected prescriptions. Home pharmacy eliminates this administrative burden, allowing teams to focus on clinical care and patient interactions." Fewer hands-on transactions and phone calls to juggle gives staff more time and energy for other important tasks. Additionally, practices no longer need to manage large inventories of routine medications, reducing the risk of overstocking or expiration.

Home pharmacy allows your practice to free up two precious resources: time and space. When your practice dispenses medications, staff spend much of their time on inventory management. They must monitor product levels, track expiration dates, and continually execute inventory audits. This antiquated process takes up both time and space in your practice. Less staff time required for managing inventory allows more time for patient care and client education and retention.

Practices can also see decreased expenses related to managing inventory and chasing uncollected prescriptions. Home pharmacy offers additional financial benefits for practices, like fewer missed sales and increased compliance. Automated fulfilment ensures clients receive their medications on time, reducing the likelihood of missed doses or lapsed treatments. Clients are more likely to stay on top of their pet’s treatment schedule when medications are delivered directly to their homes. This consistency leads to better health outcomes and repeat business.

Auto-ship customers are especially difficult to lure away when they're committed and receive medications or products regularly from a particular service. If you can get your clients to subscribe to your auto-ship service before a larger retailer, you'll be highly likely to retain them.

Clients who are working full-time or have busy schedules appreciate not having to make an extra trip to the practice," says Burgess. "It’s one less thing for them to worry about." Convenience is a significant driver of client loyalty, and home pharmacy services deliver. Pet owners often stop by clinics right after work to pick up medication. But this is the same time that other clients are picking up their pets from surgery. This can create an extra busy end-of-day volume of clients. Allowing clients to have their medicine delivered can alleviate this end-of-day rush.

Automated reminders and delivery ensure clients remain engaged with the practice year-round, not just during flea and tick season when they need their annual meds. This level of service not only strengthens relationships but also creates a sense of trust and reliability.

The rise of illegal medicines in the United Kingdom presents a real challenge for veterinary practices, but it also offers an opportunity to educate clients and strengthen their trust. By highlighting the dangers of counterfeit products, and emphasising the benefits of home pharmacy, and practices can provide safer, more convenient solutions for their clients.

"At the end of the day, it’s about ensuring pets get the care they need in a way that’s safe, reliable, and convenient," said McMenaman. "Home pharmacy helps practices achieve this while creating efficiencies and building loyalty."