URGENT: Please tell Congress to stop the FDA’s illegal attempt to cut-off the compounded medications your pet needs

Dear Pet Owner,

The FDA recently released proposed “guidance for industry” (GFI) about the compounded medications you have used for your pet. Without legal authority from Congress, the FDA is attempting, through “guidance,” to write new laws. In short, your veterinarian would no longer be able to order and dispense custom compounded medications from a pharmacy—even though critical emergency and other life-saving drugs can’t be obtained in any other way!

Congress has recognized that the impact of this document, should it be accepted, would fundamentally and dangerously change the practice of veterinary medicine. In the House, Congressman Matt Salmon (R-AZ) and Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR), one of just three veterinarians serving in Congress, are so concerned with the potential impact on veterinarians and their patients that they are calling for FDA to withdraw this proposed guidance altogether.

Make no mistake: as thousands of veterinary professionals told us in a new national survey, if this guidance were to be published, your pets would be in real danger.

The GFI is an unprecedented and dangerous intrusion into veterinary medicine. For example, the GFI’s prohibition against dispensing from office stock obtained from a pharmacy ignores the practical fact that most states allow this common practice—and 91% of veterinary professionals whose states allow it say that they dispense compounded medications from office stock. What would you say if your pet ingested poison and your vet told you you’d have to wait three days for the life-saving medicine that must be given within a few hours?

In 2013, with your help we persuaded Congress not to regulate veterinary compounding in the same way as human compounding due to the differences between veterinary and human medical practice. Your input to your Senators and your Members of Congress helped defeat this 2013 proposal. Your help is needed again.

Please, tell your Congressional representative how this proposed guidance would affect your practice and your patients. Ask him or her to sign the Salmon/Schrader letter to FDA.

Visit MyMedsMatter.com, enter your address information and we’ll match you with your representative in Washington. We’ll get you started with a sample message. Customize it to your situation and then, with just a click, we’ll deliver it directly to your representative.

The proposed FDA Guidance is brief but represents a full-frontal attack on the practice of veterinary medicine and your pet’s health. Thank you in advance for doing your part to defeat this misguided and dangerous attempt by FDA to interfere with your veterinarian’s medical judgment and to deprive your pet of life-saving medications.

Sincerely,

Marcy Bliss
President, Wedgewood Pharmacy

PS: Your opportunity to comment is limited so please take just a few moments tocontact Congress now. If you are represented by one of the sponsors, we’ll provide a sample message thanking him for his leadership.