| Complaint: | Complaint 21-58 |
|---|---|
| Respondent: | Heather Molander |
| Premises: | Banfield Apache Junction 1266 |
The complainant (a paramedic) states that Molander violated the veterinary code of ethics. She tells us that her family's dog ran out of phenobarbital for seizures. Her husband called Banfield the next day to get a refill and was told by staff that the dog had two prescriptions left. The complainant's son went to the pharmacy to pick it up and was told by the pharmacist that the veterinarian said the dog would not be approved for any more refills at this time. Her husband called back and was then told that the prescription wouldn't be refilled because the dog hadn't been there in a year. Molander called and left a message saying the same thing. Her son went to Banfield and got an appointment for the dog that was a week away. The following day the dog had two back-to-back seizures so she called Banfield and left a message; she got a return call from Molander who said that she still couldn't refill the prescription and they didn't do emergency appointments. The complainant says Molander refused to write out even a short prescription to carry over until the appointment a few days later; Molander instead told her to try another Banfield or take the dog to an emergency clinic. The complainant filed a Banfield complaint about Molander's actions. The complainant called and found another Banfield (in Chandler) who was able to get the dog in earlier; they also said they would phone in a small prescription to lat until then. Her dog was seen by the vets at Banfield's Chandler location but then other problems occurred. There also appeared to be some confusion with the subsequent prescription; a veterinarian (Hanson) from the Banfield Apache Junction location called and said she couldn't refill the prescription as the dog's phenobarbital results had not been returned yet. The complainant found this odd as the dog was now being seen at the Banfield Chandler location; she suspects Molander, as one of the managing veterinarians in the region, had something to do with that. She also tried to follow up on her Banfield complaint but was told by their customer service team that they had tried to call her several times and she never answered; she says that's not true and wonders why they wouldn't have left a voicemail. She tells us that Molander finally called her and blamed her for not being responsible with the dog's medications; she also seemed to suggest that there was really nothing the complainant could do to her. Disturbingly, the complainant tells us that Molander even said that as a regional chief of staff, she'd know anything that went on with the dog at any of the local Banfield locations. She wonders if as a regional director Molander might have been in charge of handling her own complaint.
The Investigative Committee said they understood the complainant's point of view but that the dog had missed a phenobarbital test; they also said that as the drug was a controlled substance Molander had a right to be cautious. They said that in normal circumstances an appointment would be booked and a small quantity dispensed to cover the interim, but that it's no big deal because no harm came to the dog. (The dog appears to have had at least two seizures after abruptly discontinuing the medication and that sudden discontinuation of seizure medications can lead to status epilipticus, so they have a rather low definition of what constitutes harm. Also, while it was a controlled substance, the clinic had the records showing the dog was on the drug, so it's difficult to see how prescribing an extra week of medication would be that risky of a thing to do.) The Committee found no violations, Sidaway recused. Rai and Dow both run their own veterinary clinics so it's only natural to wonder how they handle these matters in their own clinics.
| Source: | May 5, 2021 PM Investigative Committee Meeting |
|---|---|
| People: | |
| Heather Molander | Respondent |
| Roll Call: | |
| Adam Almaraz | Aye |
| Amrit Rai | Aye |
| Brian Sidaway | Recused |
| Cameron Dow | Aye |
| Result: | Passed |
| Source: | June 6, 2021 Board Meeting |
|---|---|
| Proposed By: | Nikki Frost |
| Seconded By: | Darren Wright |
| Roll Call: | |
| Darren Wright | Aye |
| J Greg Byrne | Aye |
| Jane Soloman | Aye |
| Jessica Creager | Aye |
| Jim Loughead | Aye |
| Nikki Frost | Aye |
| Robyn Jaynes | Aye |
| Sarah Heinrich | Absent |
| Result: | Passed |
The primary source for the above summary was obtained as a public record from the Arizona State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. You are welcome to review the original records and board meeting minutes by clicking the relevant links. While we endeavor to provide an accurate summary of the complaint, response, investigative reports and board actions, we encourage you to review the primary sources and come to your own conclusions. In some cases we have also been able to reach out to individuals with knowledge of specific complaints, and where possible that information will be included here.