A different kind of patient

I recently read somewhere that pharmacy professionals are the only (or one of the only) healthcare professionals that can—and are expected to—provide care to both humans and animals. Having worked with both human and animal patients, I know that pharmacy professionals provide care for both. But I had never stopped to consider (or realize) that there aren’t other healthcare professionals who do this. This proves once again that pharmacy professionals are rock stars! Read: Pets of pharmacy: Poppy I have a soft spot for animals (yes, I spend countless hours watching cute animal videos online), especially dogs. Well, big dogs. I have had some experiences with little dogs and with cats that gave me trust issues with these creatures, leaving me to admire them from afar rather than up-close and personal. We have a golden retriever who has environmental allergies, so he takes a daily allergy pill, and giving him medication is a breeze. We often just shake the vial of his pills and dance around excitedly and he gets excited, dances around too, and then happily takes his pill. Sometimes we're really nice and we put the tablet in a bit of peanut butter for him. Sometimes, when we’re rushing out the door, we just drop a pill in his food. It doesn’t really seem to matter, he just takes it. But not all animals take their medicine quite so easily. Read: Into the thick of it Having never owned a cat, I have never had to administer medication to one, but I have heard from many cat owners that it’s not the easiest feat. Working with animals is kind of like working with children. They can be particular about what they will or will not take. They have their own preferences when it comes to taste, texture, dosage form. They have allergies. They can be stubborn. They have “parents” (which can present their own challenges). But these challenges are some of the things I like most (in addition to getting pictures of the really cute animals!). I like the problem-solving piece of working with animals. I have worked in several different pharmacies in different cities and towns in Ontario and have had the opportunity to work with a few different animals and their caretakers, including dogs, cats, horses, and cows. Some of this work has involved dispensing manufactured medications for the animals and some has involved compounding specialized medications, but all of the work has been rewarding. Over the years, I have attended conferences and taken courses on veterinary physiology and pharmacology and learned about pharmaceutical care for various animals. Through these educational opportunities I have also had the privilege of meeting pharmacy technicians who work exclusively with animal patients and have incredible stories, as well as conference presenters and course instructors who have talked about treating a variety of animals with a variety of conditions including: a snake with burns, a dolphin with an eye infection, sheep with fertility issues, and a gorilla with a UTI. Pharmacy professionals are doing cool and innovative things to treat animals, and I find this endlessly fascinating! But it’s also a lot of work. Think of everything you must know to safely treat human patients. And all humans have the same anatomy and physiology. Now, consider how much work it is to learn how to safely treat animals on top of this, with different species having their own unique anatomy and physiology. It really is impressive. It is also something that I don’t think a lot of people—including pharmacy professionals—are aware of, so if you are working with animal patients, I encourage you to share your stories. I know I would love to hear more of them!

A different kind of patient

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Blog Author

SARAH-LYNN DUNLOP

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