Prescription Refills & Veterinary Medication Information
We understand that questions can arise when your pet needs medication. Our goal is to make prescription refills as safe, clear, and convenient as possible while ensuring medications remain appropriate for your pet.

Prescription Refill Timeline

• Please allow at least 48 hours for prescription refill requests to be processed.
• Every request is reviewed by our veterinary team to confirm the medication, dosage, and treatment remain appropriate based on your pet’s medical records.
• Compounded or special-order medications may require up to 7 days for preparation and delivery.

Examination & VCPR Requirements
To safely refill a prescription, your pet must have had a physical examination with one of our veterinarians within the past year.
This helps maintain a current Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR), as required by the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO). A current VCPR ensures our veterinarians have up-to-date information about your pet’s health when making prescribing and treatment decisions.
 
Medications Requiring Additional Monitoring
Some medications require more frequent monitoring, including medications used to manage diabetes, seizure disorders, thyroid disease, Cushing’s or Addison’s disease. Recent bloodwork or additional examinations may be required before a refill to confirm that the medication and dosage remain safe and appropriate.
 
Ear & Skin Infections
A new examination is required each time treatment is needed for an ear or skin infection. These conditions can change or have different underlying causes, so the appropriate treatment may also change. This is especially important with ear infections, where the wrong medication can worsen the condition or cause additional complications.
 
Allergy Medications
An examination may also be required before refilling allergy medications. Itchy skin and other allergy symptoms can be associated with infections or other underlying conditions that need to be identified and treated.
 
Understanding Veterinary Medication Costs
Veterinary medications may sometimes cost more than their human equivalents because:

• Veterinary care and medications are not covered by Ontario’s provincial healthcare system and are not priced in the same way as human medications.
• Veterinary hospitals generally purchase medications through veterinary distributors or buying groups, which can add distribution costs.
• Some medications require animal-specific formulations, concentrations, flavours, or dosing options.

Our priority is to provide medication that is appropriately selected, accurately dosed, and dispensed with veterinary oversight.
 
Filling a Prescription at Another Pharmacy
You may request a written prescription to have your pet’s medication filled at a local or online pharmacy.
Please note that not all pharmacies are familiar with veterinary medications, pet-specific dosing, or veterinary prescription requirements.

•  A prescription-writing fee applies for each medication. This covers the veterinarian’s time to review your pet’s medical history and determine the appropriate medication and dosage. This takes time and is incredibly important to make sure there are no interactions or new conditions that might make taking this medication dangerous.

Online Pet Pharmacies
Online pharmacies may offer lower advertised prices because they generally have lower overhead than a veterinary hospital. However, the final cost may include dispensing fees, shipping, and our prescription-writing fee.
When purchasing medication elsewhere, we cannot guarantee its source, storage, handling, safety, quality, or effectiveness. Medications dispensed through our hospital are sourced and handled under veterinary oversight.
 

• Written prescriptions must be picked up from our office for you to bring to the pharmacy of your choice.

When choosing where to fill a prescription, we encourage you to consider the total cost, convenience, medication safety, and value of veterinary oversight, rather than the advertised medication price alone.
 
Prescription Returns & Refunds
For safety and regulatory reasons, medications cannot be returned or refunded once they have left our hospital, including unopened medications in their original packaging.
Under CVO requirements, medications that have left the clinic cannot be returned to stock, resold, re-dispensed, or administered to another patient. Once a medication has left our facility, we cannot verify how it was stored or handled. This policy helps protect the safety of all our patients.

Questions About Your Pet’s Prescription?
We’re happy to help. If you have questions about your pet’s medication or would like to request a refill, please call us at 905-628-2228.
Our team is here to help ensure your pet receives safe, effective, and appropriate treatment.