Pet owners are discovering they can get free antibiotic drugs for their four-legged friends.
A spokeswoman at Publix said Monday she was surprised to learn that veterinarians are among those prescribing from a list of seven common oral antibiotic drugs dispensed free under a program that went into effect last summer.
"I was told many veterinarians are referring their patients to us, and we are filling some of those prescriptions," said Shannon Patten, a Publix spokeswoman. "I don't know how many people use it for their pets," she said.
The company announced in August it would offer a free prescription drug program at more than 650 Publix pharmacies for seven common antibiotic drugs used to treat conditions like ear and urinary tract infections.
Customers need only supply a prescription for up to a 14-day supply of one of the seven medications. The seven antibiotics account for almost 50 percent of the generic, pediatric prescriptions filled at Publix. They include Amoxicillin; Cephalexin, generic of Keslex; Penicillin VK; Ciprofloxacin (excluding Ciprofloxacin XR); Ampicillin; Erythromycin (excluding Ery-Tab), and Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim (SMZ-TMP).
It's not unusual for pharmacies to supply medication for animals but it's unusual to find free ones. CVS has a promotion in which it provides a handful of free antibiotic drugs for people or animals, a CVS pharmacist said. And some of the biggest retailers like Target and Wal-Mart offer more than 300 popular prescription drugs for $4 each, according to their Web sites.
Although Publix marketers have worked hard to publicize the free drug program through physicians' offices, they have not approached veterinarians or dentists with the same pitch, Patten said.
*Check with your local Publix Store for more Details*
Subject: Publix Offers Free Pills For Pets 
Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:14 pm
