Working with Pharmacies: Improving Communication and Reducing Errors

Presentation Description / Summary: There is a growing need for veterinarians to partner with community pharmacists to maximize patient health and client satisfaction. Both professions want the best possible outcome for patients while fulfilling their legal and ethical professional duties. Because community pharmacists are not trained in veterinary pharmacology as part of their core education, problems can arise when there are large differences in dosage or side effects of the same drug in animals and humans. Join a practicing private practice veterinarian and licensed pharmacist as we discuss the current state of pharmacy issues. We will discuss common sources of error, steps that veterinarians can take to prevent these errors, and techniques for building successful working relationships with community pharmacists.

Learner Outcomes: 1. Use clinical examples to identify common problems with veterinary prescriptions and offer solutions to improve outcomes 2. Summarize existing resources for preventing and reporting prescription errors 3. Discuss online pharmacies and precautions veterinarians can take to educate their clients and protect their patients