For veterinary hospitals, keeping 503B manufactured drugs on-hand for office use and dispensing is critical to top-quality patient care. But stocking these manufactured products provides another opportunity for veterinary staff—building stronger client relationships.
With 503B drugs on hand, you can deepen client relationships in ways that can’t be replaced by online pharmacies. It gives you the opportunity to provide the highest quality medication, consulting services on storage and administration, and added convenience. Below we take a deeper dive into three important ways your 503B medication stock will improve vet-client relationships and build loyalty for your practice.
By federal law, veterinary hospitals can legally stock and dispense our manufactured drugs. Traditional 503A compounding pharmacies were never intended to provide office stock as the intent was to provide individual patient prescriptions.
Quality builds trust and loyalty
It’s common for online retailers, unauthorized pharmacies, and street vendors to sell counterfeit pet medications—often at a large discount—that resemble the real thing. Sadly, over 1 in 10 pet owners have been duped by online counterfeit pet medications. These imitations pose a real threat to pets because of their incorrect dosing, unknown active ingredients, or no ingredients at all.
Offering reliable, high-quality medications to your clients directly from your practice increases client confidence and trust. You and your client can come out of an appointment knowing the medication is coming from a reputable source where products are manufactured with extensive testing for purity and stability, meets their pet’s needs, and it’s in a dosage form or flavor that makes at-home treatment easier.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, clients are 40% more likely to follow veterinary recommendations when communication is clear, thorough, and trustworthy. That’s why it’s so important to be thorough with the information you share about treatment recommendations and medication instructions. It provides a great opportunity to educate pet owners on reputable pharmacies.
Reinforce your consultative role
Veterinarians are the people whom pet owners trust the most, influenced more by the knowledge, quality of care, and compassion given than by price or convenience. Having a positive relationship with a pet owner creates better opportunities to counsel clients on proper medication storage and usage.
To further the trust between the vet and the client, the relationship should exist beyond the appointment. A follow-up phone call regarding at-home treatment enhances the level of care and helps a client know they can depend on their veterinary staff. Research shows one of the main reasons clients switch vets is due to confusing communication and treatment recommendations. Following through, providing clarity, and fostering a consultative role will strengthen the overall relationship you have with your clients.
Meet pet owners’ needs for convenience
Speed and convenience are essential to nearly any customer experience in today’s increasingly fast-paced world. Retail sales of pet medication purchased online has grown to 16% and allowed online pharmacies to successfully draw from this revenue stream for veterinary hospitals and clinics.
However, by stocking manufactured 503B drugs, veterinary practices can recoup some of this revenue by making high-quality medications readily available to clients. When a client can walk out of the vet’s office with the exact medication they need to give their pet, it eliminates the need to wait on a local (503A) compounding pharmacy or to find a reputable online pharmacy, which may or may not be experiencing a shortage.
Direct dispensing also reduces the stress vet visits can cause for both pets and owners. After diagnosing, explaining, and setting expectations for the new medication with the client, at-home treatment education can get lost in the information overload. With the drug in-house and handed directly to the pet owner, you can take the time to reinforce administration guidance.
Take advantage of ordering with Epicur. All drugs are ready to ship same day with 1-2 days in transit.
When a pet owner walks out the door with no medication in hand, they have many other options where they could purchase their needed veterinary pharmaceuticals. Other well-known stores such as Walmart, PetRx, and Chewy Rx are popular for pet food, supplies, and now pet medications, where clients can fill their prescriptions instead.
Keeping 503B medications in stock helps you provide the safest, highest-quality treatment while reinforcing your trusted relationship.
Partner with Epicur for your bulk stock and dispensing.
Call us at 888-508-5032 to start your order!
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Easing Pet Anxiety and Empowering Owners
Imagine a dog trembling at the sound of thunder or a cat hiding for hours after a trip to the vet. These aren’t just quirks, they’re signs of anxiety, a condition that affects countless pets and often leaves their owners feeling helpless. Whether it’s separation stress, loud noises, or unfamiliar environments, anxiety can disrupt a pet’s well-being and strain the bond between animal and human. Advancing the standard of care for animals doesn’t just happen in veterinary practices; informed ownership leads to better care all around. By getting to the root of pet anxiety and educating on effective responses, veterinary professionals can empower and ease pet owners and their pets alike. Getting to the root of a pet’s anxiety Anxiety manifests in humans through rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, trembling, feeling weak, restlessness, nervousness, paranoia, and more. Animals are no different. Pets experience anxiety from the anticipation of a fear-inducing stimulus. It can be situational or related to specific triggers such as being left alone, a visit to the vet, or fireworks during holidays. The most common forms of pet anxiety are: Separation Anxiety – when pets get nervous or uncomfortable when they are alone or separated from their family. Fear-Related Anxiety – stems from several factors, including early life experiences, environmental influences, or even genetics. Examples of triggers are loud noises, specific situations, and unfamiliar people/animals. Age-Related Anxiety – often associated with older dogs with cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), where memory, learning, perception, and awareness can decline and lead to confusion/anxiety. Helping pet owners understand the root of their pets’ anxiety can also help them understand the symptoms can show in many different forms, including but not limited to: Destructive Behavior Restlessness Hiding Loss of Appetite Clinginess Excessive Vocalization Urination or Defecation Aggression Empowering pet owners through education Pet anxiety doesn’t just affect the animal; it deeply impacts the owner’s emotional well-being and confidence in caregiving. When owners understand the signs of anxiety and the science behind it, they’re better equipped to respond with empathy and effectiveness. Education can foster trust between veterinarians and pet parents, creating a collaborative approach to care. It also helps demystify behaviors that might otherwise be misinterpreted as disobedience. For example, a dog chewing holes in the carpet when left alone can be sign of separation anxiety rather than the pet acting out. As a veterinary professional, you play a vital role in this learning process. By offering clear explanations, personalized guidance, and evidence-based resources, you empower owners to take proactive steps. This includes recognizing early warning signs, implementing calming strategies, and knowing when to seek medical support. When pet parents feel empowered, they become active participants in their pet’s healing journey, reducing stress for everyone involved—and most likely making visits to your practice much simpler in many cases! How pet owners can ease pet anxiety Managing pet anxiety requires a blend of behavioral techniques, environmental adjustments, and sometimes medical intervention. Here are some proven strategies to share with your clients: Create a Safe Space: Designate a quiet, cozy area where their pet can retreat during stressful moments. Familiar blankets, toys, and scents can help soothe them. Desensitization and Counterconditioning: Gradually expose pets to anxiety triggers in a controlled way with professional guidance from a certified behaviorist or trainer, pairing the experience with positive reinforcement. Routine and Predictability: Pets thrive on consistency. Regular feeding, walking, and play schedules can reduce uncertainty and stress. In severe cases, you may recommend anti-anxiety medications based on the short-term or long-term needs of a pet. For example, short-term medications can help pets relax when they come to your practice for a visit, making their appointment as stress-free as possible Common pet anxiety medications include: Fluoxetine – a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) often used for long-term anxiety management. Trazodone – frequently prescribed for situational anxiety, such as vet visits or travel. Clomipramine – a tricyclic antidepressant used for separation anxiety. Gabapentin – often used in both dogs and cats to reduce fear and anxiety, particularly during veterinary visits. Benzodiazepines (e.g., alprazolam, diazepam, lorazepam) – short-acting medications used for acute stress events or predictable triggers such as fireworks or thunderstorms. Buspirone – sometimes prescribed, particularly in cats, for generalized anxiety. These medications help regulate mood and reduce fear responses, but they work best when paired with behavior modification techniques. It’s important to talk through all the symptoms and options with your clients to determine the right medication and dosage for each pet’s unique needs. Office-Use Medications for Your Practice & Patients Our team knows that quality and consistency are non-negotiable when it comes to pet health. That’s why we proudly manufacture gabapentin, fluoxetine, and other essential medications to FDA standards, ensuring safety and efficacy in every dose. Learn more about our veterinary medication portfolio! View our Products Stokes Pharmacy also compounds many of these other drugs for individual patient prescriptions! Pet anxiety is more than a behavioral issue. It’s a health concern that can affect the entire household. For veterinary professionals, recognizing the signs of anxiety is just the beginning. The real impact comes from guiding pet owners with clarity, empathy, and evidence-based solutions. Veterinarians are uniquely positioned to transform fear into comfort and confusion into clarity. Through thoughtful education, personalized care plans, and access to trusted medications, you empower owners to become confident caregivers. We believe that every pet deserves peace of mind and every owner deserves the tools to provide it. From manufacturing high-quality medications to supporting wellness education, we offer a variety of resources that your practice can share so you and your clients can make compassionate care a reality, together. Get more tips and resources to share with pet owners Resource Library
Meet Marylu Ernsting: Championing Equine Health with Passion and Purpose
Epicur’s newest Equine Key Account Specialist is Marylu Ernsting, and she brings a rich background in the equine industry with her to the team! Get to know her more below as she shares her thoughts on ethical representation as a sales rep, the innovative injectable omeprazole our team released, and how she stays busy when she isn’t working. We’re excited to have you join us today, Marylu! Tell us a bit about your role at Epicur and the region you cover. I cover what I like to call the “Midwest corridor”—everything from Wisconsin down to Florida. It’s a big territory, but I love it. I live in Kentucky, which is perfect because it’s right in the heart of horse country. I’m an Equine Key Account Specialist. My role is all about connecting with veterinarians, understanding their needs, and helping them find solutions that make their jobs easier and their patients healthier. What’s your background? How did you get into this field? I’ve been involved in equine care and management for over 20 years. It’s kind of a funny story. I didn’t grow up in an equine family, but I’ve always loved horses and bought my first horse at 15. I realized early on that if I wanted to keep up my “horse habit,” I needed a career that could support it. That led me to work at a boarding facility, where I met a trainer and an exercise rider for racing quarter horses. I started galloping and ponying racehorses, then moved into hunter-jumper work, and eventually ran my own boarding facility. I even became a 4-H leader for 10 years, which was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I’ve had a lot of different roles in the equine space though. I was a vet tech for an equine reproduction vet where I was very hands on. I did everything from bookkeeping to holding horses for the farrier. I was also an inside sales rep for nine years. COVID displaced me from equine for a little while. I ended up taking a job that gave me the opportunity to work with zoo accounts, which was new for me, and it was so fun but I’m super glad to be back in equine. You’ve held so many different roles! Would you say any of them were your favorite? Honestly, being a 4-H leader was one of my absolute favorite things I’ve ever done. I didn’t have kids of my own, but I ended up with 35 of everyone else’s! We had the largest equine-only 4-H club in Florida at the time. Some kids wanted to show, others just wanted to trail ride or learn about horses. I got to learn right alongside them. I didn’t get to be in 4-H when I was a child, I got to do it as an adult, which was even better. It was a really fun time in life, and now with social media I’ve been able to connect with all my 4H kids as adults. It’s cool to keep in touch and watch them grow and have their own families. One of them actually tried to be a 4H leader, and she reached out me to say, “I don’t know how you did this!” which was funny. It was such a special time. With every job I’ve had though, truthfully, I have found that it’s just been my next journey. I love everything about all the roles I’ve ever had. I don’t have a job for one or two years. I have jobs for seven years, nine years, 10 years. So, I’m extremely excited to see where my next journey is with Epicur for sure. What excites you most about being part of the Epicur team? Honestly, it’s the innovation and the integrity. I’ve always prided myself on representing products I believe in—and as a horse owner, I trust what Epicur is doing. They’re bringing science-backed, data-driven medications to market, like the injectable omeprazole. It’s exciting to be part of something that’s modernizing equine medicine. Plus, the team is just incredible. Everyone is genuinely committed to making a difference in animal health. Speaking of omeprazole, how do you explain the benefits of Epicur’s injectable version to veterinarians? Great question. I usually start with discovery—asking vets how many ulcer cases they see, whether they’re scoping, and what their treatment protocols are. One of the biggest surprises for me was how many aren’t scoping and are treating based on symptoms alone. That’s where education comes in. I’ve learned from endoscopy reps that 95% of horses scoped have ulcers, and 75% of those are glandular. Most traditional treatments aren’t proven for glandular ulcers, but Epicur’s injectable omeprazole is. It’s faster, more effective, and ultimately more economical for clients. Plus, it works for squamous ulcers too! What’s your perspective on how GFI 256 and 503B manufacturing impacts equine vets? There’s a lot of confusion out there. Many vets don’t fully understand GFI #256, USP, or the nuances of compounding. I try to simplify it for them and connect the dots. I believe—and I think Epicur does too—that we need to have critical medications available when vets need them. That’s why I’m advocating for certain life-saving drugs to be manufactured under 503B. It’s not about duplicating what’s already out there; it’s about making sure vets have access to what they need, when they need it. Sometimes drugs that are only available through 503A can end up on long-term backorder. That’s not acceptable in emergency situations. I’m hoping we can continue to develop these critical drugs through 503B manufacturing so they can be stocked and ready when they’re needed most. Epicur’s omeprazole injection suspension is especially helpful in maintaining a horse’s peak performance. How does your experience in horse racing shape your approach to equine care? Horse racing adds another layer of complexity—especially with regulations like HISA. Vets have to be extra cautious about what they carry and prescribe. I try to help them navigate that. For
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