Online Pet Meds...

ANCHOR LEAD IN:
Source: APPMA
HOW MUCH IS MAN'S BEST FRIEND REALLY WORTH? PLENTY - AT LEAST IF YOU'VE BEEN TO THE VET RECENTLY! AMERICANS SPEND ABOUT 35-BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON VETERINARY CARE. SO IT'S NO WONDER THAT MANY OF US ARE TRYING TO HOLD COSTS DOWN. ONLINE PET MEDICATIONS MAY BE THE ANSWER...BUT EXPERTS SAY, BE CAREFUL THAT YOU DON'T BARK UP THE WRONG TREE. THAT'S TODAY'S HEADS UP.

TRACK ONE Length: :06
CHRISTINE SMALL IS THE OWNER OF THREE ELDERLY PETS. SO SHE SPENDS A LOT OF TIME - AND MONEY -- AT THE VET.

SOT:
KEY @: :08 Christine Small, Pet Owner
"With everybody at the vets and everybody on medication, it's gonna be a tough month."

TRACK TWO Length: :06
SMALL IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A GOOD DEAL ON PET MEDS...BUT SHE'S WARY OF ORDERING HER MEDICATIONS ONLINE...

SOT:
KEY @: :20 Christine Small, Pet Owner
"There's a lot of readjusting with medications, I think if you take your vet out of the equation, you're not going to have as good luck."

TRACK THREE Length: :07
Source: AVM
THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION SAYS INTERNET PET MEDICATION SITES ARE GROWING. SOME ARE PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE BUT NOT ALL.

SOT:
KEY @: :33 Dr. Kevin Hahn, Chair, AVMA Council of Biologic and Therapeutic Agents
"There are some great consumer buys online, but be very careful where you buy from because it may not be the right medication for your pet, it may not be the right formulation for your pet."

TRACK FOUR Length: :16
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOUR PET?
MAKE SURE THE SITE HAS A CERTIFIED PHARMACY. CHECK WHAT FORM YOUR MEDICATION WILL COME IN...FOR INSTANCE CHEWABLE TABLET VERSUS A PILL. ALSO YOUR PET MAY NOT BE ABLE TO WAIT FOR MEDICATION TO ARRIVE.
AND, REMEMBER, NO ONE ONLINE KNOWS YOUR PET.

SOT:
NO KEY Dr. Kevin Hahn, Chair, AVMA Council of Biologic and Therapeutic Agents
"One of the disadvantages of an online pharmacy is that you're talking to a computer."

TRACK FIVE Length: :08
ANOTHER HITCH? NOT ALL VETS WANT TO FAX IN PRESCRIPTIONS FOR ONLINE PHARMACIES. THOSE WHO DO, SAY IT WORKS BEST FOR ROUTINE CARE.

SOT:
KEY @: 1:12 Dr. Arthur B. Freedman, Hawthorne Animal Hospital
"Most of the medication we do write prescriptions for is for Heartworm preventive, which is, usually it's pretty straightforward. We do have medications that we write for arthritis."

TRACK SIX Length: :10
FREEDMAN ALSO SAYS THE SMALL MARKUP HE AND MOST OTHER VETS CHARGE FOR FILLING PRESCRIPTIONS IN THEIR OFFICE PHARMACIES HELP KEEP THE COST OF REGULAR APPOINTMENTS LOWER...AND HE SAYS...

SOT
NO KEY Dr. Arthur B. Freedman, Hawthorne Animal Hospital
"We want to keep in close contact with them."

ANCHOR TAG:
FINALLY, EXPERTS SAY NOT TOFORGET TO ADD IN THE COST OF SHIPPING WHEN COMPARING PRICES.

SOURCE INFORMATION:

Dr. Kevin Hahn
Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists
1111 West Loop South
Houston, TX 77027
Phone: 713-693-1111, cell: 281-380-4286

Bio: Director of Medical Oncology at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), established in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 73,000 veterinarians working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia, and uniformed services. Structured to work for its members, the AVMA acts as a collective voice for its membership and for the profession.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND/SOURCE INFORMATION
American Pet Product Manufacturers Association (APPMA) : In the decade between 1994 and 2004, Americans' spending on their pets -- the biggest chunk of which goes to veterinary care -- more than doubled from $17 billion to $34.4 billion. Last year it grew another 4.4 percent to $35.9 billion. Nearly $9 billion of that was for medication and supplies.

"These Internet pharmacies are appearing all over the place," he said. "They seem to be undergoing a fairly steep growth, and more and more, they are selling directly to consumers [without a prescription]. We're aware of one operation that reported over $7 million in profits last quarter."
Source: AVM