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Pharmacy For Our Pets
"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms." ~ George Elliot
Do you own a dog? A cat? A reptile? Pets are BIG business.
Just look at these statistics from a Forbes article last month:
"Some 63% of U.S. households, or 71 million homes, now own at least one pet, up from 64 million just five years ago. The result? Americans now spend a whopping $41 billion on pets--more than the gross domestic product of all but 64 countries in the world. And annual spending is expected to hit $52 billion in the next two years, according to consumer research company Packaged Facts.
For those of us that have gone through the harrows of an ill pet – we also know that the Compounding Pharmacist is our best friend. They not only create smaller and tastier versions of medicine for our kids – but, create easier portions for our pets!
Amazingly, the pet industry is the seventh largest retail industry in the U.S., exceeding the jewelry, candy, toy and hardware industries. Moreover, after consumer electronics, pet care is the fastest growing category in retailing, expanding about 6% a year. Clearly, consumer demand in the pet industry is at an all-time high."
The opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacy continue to grow:
The media also reports that spending on supplements and nutraceutical treats is expected to hit $1.7 billion by 2012. Just put "veterinary pharmacy" into a search engine and you can see how the field is growing!
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