Bringing the Pharmacist and the Veterinarian Together

A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, but a bit more – and understanding the limits of your expertise – can be a big help to a community pharmacist when asked for help by pet owners. Pausing with his dog Murphy after visiting a College of Pharmacy class recently, Stanley Dannemiller, D.V.M., executive director of NEOMED’s Comparative Medicine Unit (CMU), explained.

The worlds of pharmacy and veterinary medicine don’t overlap nearly as much as Dr. Dannemiller thinks they could to benefit of all those pets out there. From his previous career as a veterinarian and now in his work at the CMU, overseeing the health and welfare of the laboratory animals involved in research and teaching programs at NEOMED, he sees how more knowledge of each other’s fields helps both the practitioners and their animal patients.

So, on this day Dr. Dannemiller had brought Murph to campus for his annual visit to demonstrate topics like injection sites and talk with students of Liz Fredrickson, Pharm.D., assistant professor of pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences in the College of Pharmacy, about how to prepare for questions they may receive from pet owners about veterinary medications.

Veterinary pharmacology

Dr. Dannemiller remembers hearing his high school high jump partner talk about his dad, a pharmacist in Cincinnati. His patients couldn’t afford to visit physicians, so they would ask this trusted professional to diagnose their family’s medical problems. “Everyone wants to help,” says Dr. Dannemiller – but animals don’t react to medicines the same way people do, so more knowledge and caution is in order when such questions arise.

Plenty of other career advice is available from Dr. Fredrickson’s Maymester class on veterinary pharmacology. This term, Dr. Fredrickson also hosted visits by a veterinarian who went to law school and a veterinarian who formerly worked as a hospital pharmacist – both with interprofessional insights to share.

Alice Jeromin, R.Ph., D.V.M., is a veterinary dermatologist with 30 years of experience in veterinary medicine. She provided insight into the anatomical and pharmacokinetic differences between human and animal patients and discussed the important role pharmacists play in providing consultations and compounded medications commonly requested by veterinarians.

Kathy Corcoran, D.V.M., J.D., a grants and contracts specialist for Case Western Reserve University, discussed important legal and regulatory considerations when dispensing and compounding medications for veterinary patients.