P.E.I. Humane Society feeling the pinch as the price of drugs for animals climbs
CBC
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ashley Travis, the organization’s development and communications co-ordinator, said the price of drugs has seen a “steep increase” in recent years, from pain management products to medications used to reduce anxiety.
She said it’s not only medications the shelter uses in-house that are getting more expensive, but also drugs used at veterinary clinics the society partners with across the Island.
“This is something that does deeply concern us moving forward, because we are on the cusp of greatly expanding our facility, and so as more animals come into our care, cost rising is something we have to look at strategically,” Travis told CBC News.
Travis said the increased prices haven’t affected the shelter’s ability to provide care, but they have added pressure.
The society isn't aware of the exact reasons for the increases, Travis said, but she noted that, much like basic supplies and food, the price of medications may be affected by general inflation.
Beyond inflation, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) says shortages are also driving up the cost.
At a recent news conference in Ottawa, the association called on the federal government to regulate veterinary drug prices, warning of a “severe decline” in the availability of many essential medications like antibiotics, sedatives and vaccines.
Trevor Lawson, a past CVMA president who's now a large-animal veterinarian in Shubenacadie, N.S., said he has noticed a worsening supply of drugs over the last five to seven years.
The association estimates Canada has seen a 40 per cent decline in registered veterinary medications.
“That’s become a real concern for colleagues across Canada,” Lawson said. “It, at times, has limited our options for treatment of common diseases.”
Lawson said Canada is a small market compared to many other countries, and that has made it harder to keep products here. Smaller markets in Europe are seeing similar challenges.
Lawson said some products that were available earlier in his career are no longer licensed for use because their registrations have lapsed. Canada isn’t seeing many new products come to market either.
When medications that are typically available suddenly disappear, he said veterinarians are forced to find alternatives, like looking to the human supply chain.
A Calgary dentist who defrauded five insurance companies over a decade should spend up to three years in prison, the prosecution argued Friday.
B.C. Conservation Officer Service says it has called off its search for a bear responsible for an attack on a group of school children in Bella Coola, B.C. on Nov. 20.
The union president called it a rally for solidarity as Iqaluit Housing Authority employees gathered Friday while negotiations are ongoing between the Nunavut Employees Union and the employer.
The federal government is stoking Quebec separatism by walking back its climate commitments — including in its recent deal with Alberta — Liberal MP and former cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault says.
Four more Alberta MLAs are facing recall petitions organized by their constituents, including the first NDP representative to be caught in the province's ongoing wave of recall efforts.
Frank Gehry, the Canadian-born renegade architect behind some of the world's most recognizable buildings, has died at 96.
Hundreds of P.E.I. parents can't find child-care spaces, especially for infants. The provincial government says expanding those spots remains a top priority — and it recognizes the concern.
An Alberta judge says a referendum proposal on Alberta separating from Canada goes against Charter and and Treaty rights, in a decision given less than 24 hours after the provincial government introduced legislation that would have ended the court proceeding.
The architect of Alberta's politician recall legislation says it was never meant to be used as a political weapon, but as an "ultimate tool of accountability" if a politician engages in illegal or unethical behaviour.
The Government of Saskatchewan has introduced its long-promised involuntary treatment legislation on the final day of the fall sitting.
The Law Society of Ontario has suspended the licence of Deepak Paradkar, one of seven Canadians arrested in connection with alleged drug lord Ryan Wedding’s cocaine smuggling ring.
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is getting rid of unlimited mental health benefits for staff, blaming ballooning costs and former administrators for implementing it without proper due diligence or oversight.
Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's TV and film studios and streaming division for $72 billion US, a deal that would hand control of one of Hollywood's most prized and oldest assets to the streaming pioneer that has upended the media industry.