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By Mark Gonzalez
Over the past 20 years, I have seen the pharmacy compounding industry experience shifts and changes in many different ways. There have been shifts in legislation, technology and the demand for certain types of compounds. Through it all, however, there have been many constants as well. One of those constants is the area of veterinary pharmacy compounding. The need will always be there, and the demand only grows year by year. The American Veterinary Medical Association acknowledges this on its website when it states that “compounding is a needed tool and provides much-needed therapeutic flexibility for veterinarians, especially considering the wide range of species and breeds veterinarians treat.”1
Veterinary compounding can also be intimidating for those who have yet to venture into it. The fear of a general lack of veterinary knowledge can often stop compounders from discussing customized medication with veterinarians. But by not exploring this specialty, compounding pharmacies may be missing out on what could become a very exciting, helpful and financially beneficial addition to their practices.
So how can you break down this barrier and start to introduce your valuable services to the veterinary community? My recommendation is to dream big, but start with the basics.
First, look at all of the veterinary compounding opportunities that exist in your immediate area. Veterinary offices, specialty practices (dermatology, avian, ophthalmology, etc.), zoos, aquariums, pet stores, shelters and many other facilities can open you to a patient population of thousands just miles from your front door. Although all of these animals may vary in size and physiology, they have one thing in common with your human patients: They have medication problems related to side effects, dosage restrictions, hard-to-find medication and many more issues. You may not be a veterinarian, but you do have the ability to solve many of these problems very easily, and over time, your experience and knowledge will grow.
Start by searching online for facilities in your community that work with animals, and make a list. Trust me, these places need your help, and veterinarians are great to work with.
When you begin visiting veterinary facilities from your list, present basic and unique solutions that will fulfill the majority of the problems that they face. While it is common practice to offer a list of popular formulas, I have found that this can leave the veterinarian with a limited perception of what the compounder is truly able to provide.
My goal was to always make sure that I left every practitioner with an understanding of the broad scope of what compounding was able to provide their practice. The most effective way of communicating this was by leaving non-medicated samples of compounding bases as well as clear educational materials about them. If I left veterinarians with a list of my top five compounds, it could result in a few prescriptions if they ever needed those compounds. But if I left them with a clear understanding of five bases, I could begin to help them think outside the box, and this could result in hundreds of potential prescriptions.
Leaving samples of bases allows the veterinarian to use all five of their senses when evaluating what they are left with. This adds another level of depth to your marketing that is not possible if you simply leave them with a list of formulas.
To start, I would recommend showing up to your local veterinary office with 10 mL samples of the following:
Each of these bases provides the practitioner with a means of medication administration that is unique and beneficial to their patients.
You could also provide an information sheet on the properties of each base and how it is used to solve medication problems. I used to place all of these items in a small box, wrap it with generic wrapping paper, and leave it as a gift to the practitioner with a card saying, “Give your patients and customers the gift of compliance!” This separated my marketing piece from all of the others the practitioner was receiving and almost guaranteed that they would open it. And who doesn’t like to receive a present? This gift opened up many conversations with veterinarians when medication problems came their way.
Veterinary compounding is not only exciting, but it can be a profitable part of any compounding practice. Dream big, start with the basics, and you may see this specialty grow to new levels within your pharmacy.
PCCA members, do you want to learn more about veterinary pharmacy compounding? Join us for the PCCA Veterinary Symposium in San Diego, California, from March 28–30, 2019. Learn more and register here.
Mark Gonzalez, PharmD, is a Clinical Compounding Pharmacist at PCCA. He owned and operated Med Specialties, a pharmacy in Yorba Linda, California, for 18 years before joining PCCA. His areas of specialty are hormone replacement therapy, dermatology and veterinary compounding.
A version of this article was originally published the Fall 2018 issue of the Apothagram, PCCA’s quarterly, members-only magazine.