The Drs. Foster & Smith Pharmacy Difference
Q - Does your pharmacy guarantee their medications?
Dr. Foster: "Yes. We
personally guarantee prescription heartworm preventives purchased through our pharmacy. As veterinarians, the bottom line for us is the health of your client's pets. Ethical business practices, complete licensure, and written guarantees are an important part of this bottom line. Our hope is that this guarantee will provide you and your clients with complete confidence in our pharmacy."
Q - Is Drs. Foster and Smith Pharmacy a real pharmacy?
Dr. Foster: "Yes. Our pharmacy is a fully licensed pharmacy, just like your neighborhood Walgreens or CVS. We are an actual 'bricks and mortar' pharmacy located in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. While many of our customers have their pets' medications mailed directly to them, our local customers often stop in at our pharmacy to pick up prescriptions and speak with our pharmacists."
Q - Do you have licensed pharmacists on your pharmacy staff?
Dr. Foster: "We have a full staff of licensed pharmacists and certified pharmacy technicians. Additionally, our Veterinary Services department is staffed by licensed veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians, who work closely with our pharmacy staff."
Q - Is Drs. Foster and Smith Pharmacy licensed nationwide?
Dr. Foster: "Yes, we are. To maintain our licensure, we must follow all federal and state pharmacy laws. In order to send prescription medications to residents in states other than Wisconsin, Drs. Foster and Smith Pharmacy currently holds
out-of-state pharmacy licenses in all states that require it. In addition, there are currently five states that by law, require the personal licensure of either the Chief Pharmacist or a staff pharmacist in order to dispense medications directly into their state, which we have fulfilled. This means that one of our staff pharmacists has traveled to that state, taken and passed that state's Board of Pharmacy exam, and personally been interviewed by that state's pharmacy board. This is especially important because it ensures that our pharmacists are knowledgeable about the pharmacy laws of that particular state."
Q - Where do you get the medications you dispense?
Dr. Foster: "Drs. Foster and Smith Pharmacy receives all of its medications either directly from manufacturers, or from U.S. licensed pharmaceutical distributors. Each of the sources must follow the parameters set forth by both the state board of pharmacy of the state in which they are located, and the federal laws of the U.S. government regarding the procurement, storage, and distribution of pharmaceuticals. Human pharmacies also often purchase medications from licensed distributors. We do not buy any of our medications from sources outside of the United States, and we guarantee this. Our pharmaceutical distributors must follow the same FDA regulations as any other United States licensed pharmaceutical distributor, including adhering to regulations for storage and shipment."
Q - Is there anything else that sets Drs. Foster and Smith Pharmacy apart from all of the others?
Dr. Foster: "Our pharmacy staff is committed to upholding the veterinarian-client -patient relationship. This means that we will not solicit a veterinarian for prescriptions and will only dispense medications once we have, in our possession, a valid prescription authorized by a licensed veterinarian, our professional partner.
I hope this gives you some insight into our commitment to the practice of lawful, ethical pharmacy, as well as to excellent customer service. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Pharmacists at 1-800-447-3021.
