The World Small Animal Veterinary Association is leading a campaign to improve access to veterinary therapeutics, a treatment option that some pets are denied because of regulatory or financial issues.
WSAVA, which represents more than 200,000 veterinarians through 105 member associations, reported March 23 that its newly formed Therapeutics Guidelines Group will focus on:
- Monitoring issues related to access to veterinary medications.
- Developing minimum standards for a veterinary hospital pharmacy to ensure it can support a veterinarian’s ability to provide an appropriate standard of care.
- Providing evidence-based recommendations and guidelines concerning access to drugs.
- Engaging global stakeholders to raise awareness of the issue and build a collaborative approach to resolve the issues.
“The ready access by veterinary professionals to diagnostics and therapeutic modalities is the foundation of proper patient care,” said WSAVA President Walt Ingwersen, DVM, DVSc, DACVIM. “The frequent frustration that many of our members experience in accessing the products they need is a real concern. It has a significant impact on the quality of veterinary treatment that many of them can provide with the result that many thousands of animals do not receive optimum care.”
Among the co-signatories of WSAVA’s position statement is the European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations.
“We fully support this campaign,” said President Wolfgang Dohne, DrMedVet, MRCVS. “In Europe, too, there is much room for improvement and we need to raise awareness among decision-makers, as adequate access to a broad veterinary therapeutic arsenal is essential for animal health and welfare.”