We feel that this bill—the Fairness to Pet Owners Act (H.R. 3174/S. 1200)—is unnecessary because clients should already have the ability to fill a prescription at a pharmacy of their choice. Though not required by federal law, the AVMA’s Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics and its guide on Client Requests for Prescriptionsencourage veterinarians to write a prescription in lieu of dispensing a medication when asked by a client, and a majority of states have similar laws or policies. In some cases, veterinary medications are only available through a veterinarian, negating the need for a written prescription. In other situations, the client might want to have the medication dispensed by their veterinarian. But if this bill were to pass, veterinarians would still be required to provide the written prescription, take the piece of paper back, and then dispense the medication. This creates an administrative burden for veterinarians and staff who should be spending their time and resources taking care of their animal patients, not on paperwork.

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