Open Medication?

[Fountainrunner]

A family member took me to the vet this evening to pick up medication for my kitty. I get home and open the box to find the antibiotics are open and half gone. I'm not giving my kitty open meds. I'd never take medicine that was open unless it was open in front of me. I have no idea if it's spoiled, tampered with or whatnot. I'm going to call the vet tomorrow to complain. I'm really upset because I don't have my car to just go back and the kitty needs his medicine. Am I wrong? Does your vet give you open meds?

 

[PitRottMommy]

A family member took me to the vet this evening to pick up medication for my kitty. I get home and open the box to find the antibiotics are open and half gone. I'm not giving my kitty open meds. I'd never take medicine that was open unless it was open in front of me. I have no idea if it's spoiled, tampered with or whatnot. I'm going to call the vet tomorrow to complain. I'm really upset because I don't have my car to just go back and the kitty needs his medicine. Am I wrong? Does your vet give you open meds?

First off, do you have a medication label and is it only one medication? What box are we speaking of (most vets send bags home).

For the record, most people don't tamper with pet medication. They tamper with human medication.

BTW: If your vet DOSED you cat before he left the building, that means the medication would be open. Just FYI before your vet gets a nasty call in the morning, lol.

 

[havingalook]

Some antibiotics they have to mix water (?) in to reconstitute it/ make it a liquid. Are you sure the vet hasn't done that?

 

[Brooke]

Yes, I agree. Mine almost never comes in a sealed package. It's usually dispensed in pills that come in a bottle much like you would get from a pharmacy, or, like PitRottMommy said, they will give the first dose at the clinic, so it will have already been opened.

I'm not sure what the policy is in your area or at your clinic, but once medications leave my vet's office, they will not take them back - it's against the law. So, if the same law applies, chances are you didn't get someone else's used meds.

 

[Mews2much]

My vet always opens the meds to mix them with water.
It is not a full bottle when it is mixed either.
It sounds like that is what happened with you.

 

[Fountainrunner]

I only asked because I wanted to know if this was normal or not. I'm not use to receiving open medication - period. No, my kitty was not with me or the vet would have dosed him in front of me and I wouldn't have thought twice about it. I went to pick the meds up and never saw the vet. I'm glad to hear the medication was probably opened to mix but I'm still giving them a call in the morning to double check. Oh, and for the record one can complain without coming off nasty. I'd never be nasty. I actually love the staff that works at my kitty's vet.

 

[Maggies mommy]

I would deff call ur vet & just double check, better to be safe than sorry

 

[ilovemysphynx]

I would call and double check. Is the meds pills or liquid? Pills from my vet come in A plastic container with A lable saying what is inside but it is not sealed because they have to count them, unless it is something like A heartworm then that is always sealed and prepacked. Liquid has to be open to mix.
I call my vet with crazy questions all the time and they don't seem to mind, and if they did mind it would be time to change vets.
Best of luck and hope you get peace of mind and don't have to find A ride back.

 

[PitRottMommy]

I only asked because I wanted to know if this was normal or not. I'm not use to receiving open medication - period. No, my kitty was not with me or the vet would have dosed him in front of me and I wouldn't have thought twice about it. I went to pick the meds up and never saw the vet. I'm glad to hear the medication was probably opened to mix but I'm still giving them a call in the morning to double check. Oh, and for the record one can complain without coming off nasty. I'd never be nasty. I actually love the staff that works at my kitty's vet.

If this happens again, it may help if you post the name of the medication. A box can be ear antibiotics. It can be an oral medication like clavamox or amoxidrops. It can be a skin antibiotic like animax. It can be eye medication like neopolymycin, neopolybac, etc.

In addition, some staff members get medications all set up for you. They pre-puncture a tube that might otherwise be confusing (I do this in front of the owner), reconstitute medications as the FDA requires us to before the medication goes out the door, prepare an eye ointment for adminstration, etc.

Keep us posted on what you find out from the vet

 

[admin]

Yes, If ever in doubt call! A good vet will answer questions with out a problem. :Laugh:

 

[ja&roo]

I agee with Admin. but u probably have your answer by now I'm a bit slow on getting on the site,but I try, working a lot.

Ja

 

[Fountainrunner]

Yes, If ever in doubt call! A good vet will answer questions with out a problem. :Laugh:

When I went to pick up the meds it was one of the receptionists who helped me. I told him I wanted to make sure he was giving me the same stuff the vet had given me previously. I guess my vet wasn't on duty that night because I didn't see her around and he kept going into the back office to double check with another vet.

Anyway, I called them the next day and she assured me the meds were opened because they had to mix it for me. She also explained how to apply the gel to his eyes, which the receptionist had mistakenly told me were eye drops. I'm just glad I learned something new and my monster is back on his meds again because he doesn't look happy when he's sick.

 

[Mews2much]

I am glad you got a answer.
That eye stuff is hard to put on.
Cleo is on the cream and it has to go on her eyeball.