| This is 'Part One' of a series on Tick & Flea control | | | | cross-resistance.Compliance of a product starts right |
| programme.Most of the animal owners face a real | | | | from the ease of opening |
| challenge in tackling | | | | the containers ! Some of the containers are too |
| ticks, fleas and lice which infests their animals | | | | strong, secure |
| resulting in | | | | or tiny that it may be quite difficult for the animal |
| reduced productivity and health. Even more | | | | keeper / owner to open it efficiently without any |
| importantly, they | | | | difficulty or spill offs. Ask your vet to open such |
| are also concerned about the zoonotic nature of | | | | 'secure' or ' tiny' containers themselves and imagine |
| those | | | | how the laymen would have handled it. Many of the |
| infestations.In-fact, field veterinarians are mostly | | | | containers are just adaptations of other product |
| smart enough in | | | | packings or use of idle machine lines. As you would |
| choosing the best molecule to tackle this menace, | | | | agree, the containers should be of reasonable size |
| but | | | | and sealing for client convenience.Also, the highly |
| the issue is also related to the compliance on the | | | | priced product need not always be the best |
| animal | | | | in the market. Pricing of similar formulations of |
| owners' side. And, animal owners are often unaware | | | | different |
| of | | | | companies are wildly deviating. Then, where are |
| the many marketing gimmicks, tactics and | | | | these huge |
| arm-twisting | | | | margins diverted ? Truly, such products are not |
| practices of the trade.Field practitioners are often | | | | priced on the |
| concerned with the indications | | | | cost price plus margin, but certainly on the concept |
| and contra-indications of the product. Other than | | | | of how |
| this, many | | | | much you can afford to pay or opportunity cost.Ask |
| pharmaceutically significant aspects influence the real | | | | the product executive of each company about their |
| field | | | | trade |
| effectiveness and product compliance.A simple point | | | | discount structure and free offer trade policies ! |
| to illustrate is that, many synthetic preparations are | | | | Probably, |
| photo-sensitive and as such, these products may | | | | it will be difficult to know the real situation; but if |
| have undergone considerable degradation before | | | | you get the chance, you will be amazed to know the |
| reaching the client ! Typically, the product would have | | | | real market game. |
| been exhibited in the trade counters for days and | | | | Obviously, the heavy free-trade-offer pushing is |
| kept even at window-panes of animal shelters before | | | | seen for the |
| it was applied. This stresses the importance to | | | | new market entrants as well as for the poor |
| choose a reliable and time-tested product from the | | | | product players. |
| market as proven manufacturers always (or know | | | | For certain antibiotics, there are even 1:1 free offers |
| how to) use more ' chemically stable or competent ' | | | | in the |
| formulations.This raises question to the mere concept | | | | wholesale trade, just for "retail counter - pushing " |
| of "chemical analysis" | | | | !On the other hand, stronger brands can always offer |
| to prove label claim and effectiveness. Emulsion | | | | competitive |
| properties, | | | | pricing by mass production and balancing their |
| particle size, water miscibility, penetrability, biological | | | | overheads on a |
| activity, therapeutic index, mammalian toxicity and | | | | range of their own products. Again, remember to |
| rheologic properties are only a few of the other | | | | avoid spurious, |
| numerous parameters considered.Also important is | | | | inferior or cheap products. Quite sadly, 'copy-cats' |
| the knowledge about the combination of | | | | follow the |
| formulations you choose. When you choose a | | | | most unethical means of selling.Here is where the |
| particular brand | | | | vet's prescription preference decides; whether the |
| of ecto-parasiticide for spraying around the animal | | | | animal owner can afford such inflated / unethical |
| house and | | | | pricing or the vet's ability to strike a balance between |
| resting places, it is equally important to use similar | | | | product performance and market dynamics. Or do |
| classes of compounds to be applied as dusting | | | | you think the animal owners would comply the |
| powders. This gives an | | | | prescription when he finds the product too |
| extra edge to your tick & flea control programme. | | | | expensive?Visit for more Articles & Subscribe to their |
| Be cautious | | | | widely acclaimed FREE eMagazine ! This site contains |
| when preferring brands that cannot complement | | | | numerous valuable information for animal owners and |
| your strategy, | | | | veterinarians. The Author Mr. ANOJ J. CHEERAN |
| i.e., using different formulation of the same chemical, | | | | B.Pharm, MBA is the Director(operations) of Cheerans |
| at the same time. Of course, one formulation may be | | | | Lab (P) Limited -one of India's oldest Animal Health |
| quiet effective; but use of different molecules at the | | | | Products company, part of the Cheerans group |
| same time may induce conditions of | | | | started in 1904. |