Why getting your pet’s prescription filled at a pharmacy isn’t an easy option in Canada
The cost of pet medications can add up quickly, especially for pet owners with multiple furry friends like Anna Mikicinki, who has three dogs. To save money on her pets’ flea, tick, heartworm, and parasite medications, Mikicinki found a way to cut costs by shopping for pet medications on the other side of the world.
Mikicinki discovered an Australian manufacturer of NexGard medications that she gives to her Australian shepherd and two Pomeranians. By purchasing directly from Australia, she was able to save almost 70 per cent on her pet medications. While a nine-month supply would cost her around $1,170 Canadian in Canada, she found that the same supply from Australia only cost her $366.
However, this cost-saving strategy hit a roadblock when the company stopped selling directly to Canada. Mikicinki had to find a workaround by having the medications sent to a friend in Australia who would then send them to her in Canada. Despite the extra steps, Mikicinki was determined to continue saving money on her pets’ medications.
The issue of limited access to pet medications in Canada was highlighted in a recent report from the Competition Bureau of Canada, which emphasized the need for more choice and affordable medications for pet owners. The report revealed how the veterinary industry restricts who can purchase and sell pet medications through exclusive distribution deals between pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.
The investigation by The Fifth Estate and Marketplace, along with Radio-Canada’s Enquête and La facture, uncovered variations in regulations across provinces in Canada. While pharmacists in Quebec are allowed to dispense animal-specific medicines, Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia have restrictions that prohibit veterinarians from reselling pet medications to pharmacists.
Dr. Howard Covant, a veterinarian in Thornhill, Ontario, believes that pet owners should have more options when it comes to filling their pets’ prescriptions. Covant was involved in a legal battle after being found guilty of professional misconduct for selling animal-specific medications to pharmacists. He believes that allowing pharmacists to dispense pet medications would provide pet owners with more choices and potentially lower costs.
Despite facing opposition from pharmaceutical companies, veterinary regulators, and distributors, Covant and pharmacist Wendy Chui fought for more access to pet medications for pet owners. Chui’s online pharmacy, petsdrugmart.ca, has been at the center of a long-standing battle to provide pet medications to pet owners in Ontario.
The Competition Bureau’s report in October 2024 highlighted the need for fair market competition in the pet medicine marketplace. The report found that exclusive distribution deals limit access to affordable pet medications for Canadian pet owners. Covant and Chui’s efforts to increase access to pet medications have shed light on the challenges faced by pet owners in Canada and the need for more options in the pet medicine market.
