Animal Pharmaceuticals (anmPharm), an animal pharmaceutical company, is fighting the third party market and hoping to increase quality pet health care by offering 100 percent product exclusivity to veterinary hospitals and clinics. Cutting out every middleman from distributor to exporter to the Internet, anmPharm only allows veterinarians to sell their products.

Over the past few years, many small and medium-sized businesses have been adversely affected by Internet pharmacies, mail order catalogs and super stores. Foot traffic, a key success indicator for many businesses, has diminished and as a result, so has the retail business for these companies. Veterinary hospitals are no exception. As more consumers go to the web or pet super stores for their specialty items, vets are losing out on that revenue. Since third party providers like insurance companies do not pay vet hospitals and clinics, those retail sales become imperative to the success of their business.

But Jason Braun, president of anmPharm, says those lost sales aren’t the only reason for the commitment to exclusivity. Pet health may be at risk as people who shop elsewhere have fewer reasons to go to the vet and inadvertently neglect important health services that their pets need. Plus, as retail sales shrink, vets will be forced to increase the cost of their services which could result in more abandoned pets as owners are unable to pay for their care.

“After working in the industry for nearly a decade, I saw a shift in the way pet owners were purchasing their prescription and over-the-counter medications,” says Mr. Braun. “Veterinarians are losing retail business to online shops and super stores. Those sales are important to vets, but the real tragedy is that since fewer pet owners are going to the vet for their products, fewer pets are getting the health care that they need. So we wanted to help veterinarians and consumers by selling our quality products only through the veterinary hospitals and clinics. Vets can support their business, consumers can be reassured they’re getting a legitimate, guaranteed product and pets can receive all the medical attention they need and deserve. It’s a win-win-win.”

So although times may be tough, forcing consumers to look for ways to cut corners, anmPharm is hoping they’ll see the value-added benefit to purchasing products through their veterinarian. Checking in with the person who knows their pet’s health history and cares about their pet’s well-being can only lead to greater quality care.