13197 Old Nashville Hwy

Smyrna, TN 37167 US

615-459-0802

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Prescription Policy

Premier VetCare offers several unique benefits to its "Premier Pets." One of those benefits is that we will gladly write a prescription for your pet’s prescriptions to be filled at a retail pharmacy upon your request, as long as it is available, during your pet's Exam with us.

A complete exam and appropriate blood work is necessary to fill most prescriptions, By participating in our Premier Pets Wellness Plan, we can be assured that your pet is in optimum health and is getting the proper medication at a safe and effective dosage.

It’s the policy of our practice to write prescriptions for human generics where it may be appropriate to be filed at retail pharmacies. Several retail pharmacies offer human generics at a low fees, which can be a great benefit to pet owners. By utilizing these low cost options we will be able to help reduce your costs, and allow for additional testing necessary to understand your pets needs be more affordable. 

Many retail pharmacies also offer veterinary pharmaceuticals. These may seem like more convenient, or a cheaper source for your pets needed chronic medication, but they may not be. We strive to provide the lowest cost veterinary pharmaceuticals possible. Often the delay in processing and shipping may cause significant delays in your pet receiving the medications they need.

Keep in Mind Retail Pharmacist and Pharmacy technicians are not trained in Veterinary pharmacology.

In order for us to provide you a written prescription for a retail pharmacy federal and state laws require a valid patient-client relationship. To comply with these regulations, the following will be required for us to provide you a prescription to be filled by a retail pharmacy.  To see the Tennessee Veterinary Examiners Policy Statement on prescriptions Click Here.

  1. A complete physical exam of your pet by one of our staff veterinarians will be necessary every six months. For "Premier Pets" the exam fee is waived. For other pets, there will be fee for this exam. Antibiotics and anti-fungal medications will always require examination prior to refilling.
  2. Prescriptions will be written with enough refills for six months only. Exception: Heartworm and Flea Preventives will be written for 1 year.
  3. Appropriate monitoring blood work must be performed. 

Why Examination Every 6 Months?

To establish a proper relationship, we need to be assured your pet is still in optimum health and the medication is working properly. Since pets cannot talk to us, and often subtle signs of illness are missed by owners, this is the best way for us to ensure your pet requires chronic medications. Also, since certain medication such as preventive medication, like Heartworm medications, can be shared between pets, we will need to be sure the pet is still in your possession, living in your household, weight has not changed, and proper testing has been performed. In addition, as noted below, some medications require blood testing every 6 months.

In - House Refill Frequency.  

There are several medications that we prescribe and have available In- house for chronic conditions.  These medications are typically intended for daily use and enough medications are typically prescribed for 1 to 3 months at a time.  Prescriptions where the refills interval has lapsed may require a medical progress exam to renew the prescription.  Be medications for arthritis, Cushing's disease, diabetes, or other chronic conditions, if medications are not given as prescribed it can result in a decline of your pet's condition.  It is important that our doctors re-evaluate the patient to ensure the medication are still appropriate and changes in the pet's care plan are not needed.  

In general medications not refilled with in 3 months, or at an appropriately time since the last fill, will require an exam with one of our doctors to renew the prescription.  If your pet's conditions changes, worsens, and / or new symptoms occur, we will need to perform an exam to ensure no new medical conditions or side effects to the medications are happening.  

Controlled Drugs. 

Some medications we prescribe are controlled medications.  These each have differing exam requirements dictated by DEA and / or other state and federal regulators.  Some controlled medications may not be refilled and will require an exam for every month or for each fill.  Some also require paper prescriptions.  We appreciate your understanding in meeting all your, and our legal requirements for any controlled medications your pet may need.  

Written Prescriptions are Provided Only at Time of Exam.

We respect the right of our clients to get their pet's medications from the pharmacy of their choice.  Unfortunately, due to the high number of request by online pharmacies that are inappropriate and consume a large amount of our staff time we can not review or honor request out side of a exam and/or consult.  At that time if you are in need of any written prescriptions please ask us and we be glad to provide them.  We can not replace lost, or misplaced prescriptions.  We will not write new prescriptions if you choose to change pharmacies.  In the event you must change pharmacies you will need to contact the original pharmacy to have your prescription transferred.  We are sorry for any inconvenience this policy creates, but it is necessary to ensure excessive prescriptions are not acquired and to manage our staffs time in caring for the pets we see daily.  

To process these request, out side of an exam appointment, requires staff to review your pets records, have a doctor review and approve the request and to prepare the written prescription.  To partial recover the cost of those request there is a $25 fee for written scripts requested outside of an exam appointment.  This fee covers record review and our standard prescription fees. 

Therapeutic Lab Testing Schedule

To ensure the safe use of certain chronic medications, blood tests are necessary to be sure they are being effective and your pet is not starting to have any life threatening side effects from the medication.

  • NSAID - Chemistry Panel every 6 months
  • Thyroid– Yearly, or as needed to regulate proper levels
  • Insulin– As required to monitor effectiveness of medication
  • Heartworm– Testing will be required yearly for product filled by retail pharmacies
  • Seizure medications- At least yearly, but as required to monitor for toxicity and effectiveness
  • Behavior/Anxiety Medications– Chemistry Panel Yearly 
  • Estrogen- Chemistry & CBC Panel Yearly  
  • PPA- Chemistry Yearly
  • Heart Medications and/or Furosemide- Chemistry Panel Yearly, +/- Chest radiography
  • Controlled Medications - Exam every 6 months, and appropriate Chemistry Panel Yearly

Benefits of Our Pharmacy

Flexibility- By filling your pets medications in our pharmacy, we maintain a record of your refills, and we can be more assured your pet is getting the medication on schedule as needed. When you refill you pet's medications at a retail pharmacy, we have no record of the frequency of refills. Lapses in appropriate refills may require exams, and possible repeating blood work. 

True Convenience- No need to spend time waiting for your pets prescription while you shop, or to send a written prescription to an online pharmacy just to wait days for the medications to arrive. Just call ahead, or e-mail us your refill request, and it will be waiting for you, or filled within minutes when you stop by.

Knowledge- Our veterinarians and staff are trained and knowledgeable about the proper use, safety, and benefits of any given veterinary pharmaceutical - including extra label use, which is routine in veterinary medicine. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, are not as well trained in veterinary pharmaceuticals, and can usually only explain the label claims of any given product. We keep only pet safe medications in our pharmacy. We have seen retail pharmacies substitute medications that contain dangerous ingredients, like xylitol, that have caused pet illness.  They just did not understand the difference between people and pets enough to realize they were giving a toxic substitution to the pet owner.  

Shop local- By purchasing your pets preventive and chronic medications from our pharmacy you will be providing revenue to help support maintenance of our State of the Art Facility and Equipment that allows us to provide Premier Veterinary Care.  In addition, your purchases help provide for the salaries of the dedicated staff of Premier VetCare that truly care and know your pet. You and your pet are more than a transaction to us.  We truly care about you and your pets health, unlike the retail pharmacies where you are just another transaction. With us, you are doing business with neighbors and friends, not a distant corporate office. 

Product Guaranties- We stand behind our products, and guarantees offered by manufactures may only be good if the medication is purchased through a veterinary pharmacy. Generic heartworm medication available at retail pharmacies may not have a treatment guarantee in the event your pet contracts heart worm while using the product.

Online Pharmacy Request

Due to several legal and medical liability issues we do not respond to Faxed or E-mailed request from Online Pharmacies. By authorizing solicited prescription request it can introduce many different liabilities to our practice in the event the online pharmacy provides the wrong medication or instructions for use.  Also it is impossible for us to identify if the request is truly coming form the pet owner listed.  Also the volume of request can often become overwhelming, taking excessive amounts of staff time to process and verify. We will be happy to provide you with a written prescription for the medications your pet needs at the time of your pets visit, only one copy is provided, and you may send it to the pharmacy of your choice by their preferred methods.  We will not communicate with online pharmacies by phone, email or fax, we simply do not have the staffing to manage the constant interruptions that online pharmacies place on veterinary practices.

Before your buy online consider these articles;

ONLINE PET PHARMACIES: Protect Yourself and Your Pet

 Purchasing Pet Drugs Online Buyer Beware

Free Heartworm Test With Proheart Injection

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Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

7:30 am

5:30 pm

Walk-Ins & Urgent Care 9 am - 3pm

Tuesday:

7:30 am

5:30 pm

Walk-Ins & Urgent Care 9 am - 3pm

Wednesday:

7:30 am

5:30 pm

Walk-Ins & Urgent Care 9 am - 3pm

Thursday:

7:30 am

5:30 pm

Walk-Ins & Urgent Care 9 am - 3pm

Friday:

7:30 am

5:30 pm

Walk-Ins & Urgent Care 9 am - 3pm

Saturday:

Closed

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Closed

Regular Business Hours are M-F 7:30am till 5:30 pm. Walk-in and Urgent Care M-F 9:00am till 3:00 pm

Appointments Preferred. Pets are seen in following order:
Life Threatening Emergencies, Appointments, Urgent Care Walk-ins, Wellness Walk-ins

Additional Fees Apply to Walk-In & Urgent Care Visits


When bringing your pets into our office, for their and the safety of other pets, please either have your pet leashed or in a pet carrier. Please ask our staff at check in for a leash if needed.

For aggressive pets Click Here for more information.  

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