Essential to logical therapeutic drug use is the knowledge of the quality, strength (concentration), purity and availability of the molecule in the formulation that we propose to administer. Further, it is the veterinarian’s responsibility to practice medicine scientifically as well as ethically.

If we believe these statements to be true and valid, then we can understand that various levels of scientific or empirical evidence regarding the nature of a particular drug formulation provide us with different levels of assurance that patients will respond positively to the administration of a drug. The highest assurance for safe and effective use of a drug comes when the available drug formulation that includes the dosage form, excipients, and concentration, etc. which was associated with a sought-after response, without troublesome adverse effects, as evidenced in controlled clinical tests that evaluated safety and efficacy. (more…)