Hello everyone, CEO Olivia here. Today I want to bark about the importance of managing your medications. Especially if you are an epi-warrior like me.

First, did you know not all drugs are made the same way? What I mean is, for example, not all brands of Keppra will be the same formulation. Different pharmaceutical companies will source the basic chemicals from different places & may even substitute an ingredient to save manufacturing costs. Although these minor differences are approved, they can still be enough to make a drug work differently or be ineffective.

You can tell a generic type of drug because it will have a few letters in front of the drugs name on the label. For example, Keppra is really called, Levetiracetam. Here are four generic versions:

Co-Levetiracetam

Apo-Levetiracetam

Act-Levetiracetam

Auro-Levetiracetam

It’s important to stick to one brand if at all possible. When ordering either through the vet or a pharmacy, be sure to ask what brand they have in stock. You may need more than one source. We do.

When you pick up a refill or new medication always check the label. Be sure it’s the correct dosage.

Another important thing to keep track of is expiry dates. One of the drugs I take is Phenobarbital in liquid form. It goes stale so we always order in advance of the expiration date on the label. We also don’t order too much because we know it will go off before I can use it. That’s a waste.

That’s a lot to bark about. I think I need to go boss around the squirrels.

CEO Olivia ❤