Getting Ripped Off at Vet's

[cali baker]

This is a Vet VENT: I just paid overy $50.00 for a neo/poly/dex eye ointment at the Vet's office. I checked on Chewy dot com and this same medication is <$13.00!!!
I feel like such a dumb dumb now.

 

[oscarmayer]

You aren't the only one...it happens a lot, CaliB.
It never hurts to shop around.
All scrip meds, pills, ointments, sprays, etc. can usually be sourced cheaper elsewhere than the Vet office. Just ask for a scrip and shop it.
Often what the Vet represents(sort of) as a prescription med is OTC available online or a Pet Store.

 

[cali baker]

You aren't the only one...it happens a lot, CaliB.
It never hurts to shop around.
All scrip meds, pills, ointments, sprays, etc. can usually be sourced cheaper elsewhere than the Vet office. Just ask for a scrip and shop it.
Often what the Vet represents(sort of) as a prescription med is OTC available online or a Pet Store.

will do from now on! for sure

 

[Bizzymammabee]

This is a Vet VENT: I just paid overy $50.00 for a neo/poly/dex eye ointment at the Vet's office. I checked on Chewy dot com and this same medication is <$13.00!!!
I feel like such a dumb dumb now.

Don't feel dumb. We get caught out there because we are willing to pay/do anything to help our babies.

I get they need to place a margin on things but that's ridiculous. During Bella's last visit to the new vet they gave her a shot to calm her down. Cost $50. Absolutely ridiculous. I know that was probably the cost of the entire bottle. Makes me sick to my stomach that they get so greedy. My regular vet normally has a small markup on Tyson's allergy meds. In a pinch I get it from them. I normally order it from Chewy.

 

[Cbrugs]

Yup, usually always a mark up. I got eye drops before that cost $12 but I paid $30 for them at the vet because I couldn’t wait and needed them ASAP. Jax is on thyroid meds which were $32 a bottle but I can get them through an online pharmacy for about $13.

 

[ddnene]

OMG... my vet is really great about the meds. She will start literally at Walgreen for over-the-counter stuff first, and her prescription are normally the last resort.

 

[Arleigh]

my daughter is in her last year of Vet school. She is very concerned about Chewy and how they are trying to monopolize the vet pharmaceutical industry and the vet care industry itself. Vet clinics mark up the medicine prices to help their bottom line. You can always tell your Vet that you can take the prescription and price shop it yourself. They may be willing to offer the medicine at a discounted rate, that is in line or cheaper than Chewy. If they are not, please consider an option other than Chewy. My vet is very reasonable with their prices on medications. If I am paying a little more, I chuck it up to convenience, no shipping wait time, and supporting my vet.

Chewy is also aggressive in trying to implement virtual health visits to dominate the vet care industry. Sorry Chewy, I will stick with my own Vet and human to canine real life interaction.

Because of all of this, I have stopped buying items from Chewy. I am no longer a customer of theirs. The Nordic Naturals fish oil and the Malcetic wipes I previously ordered, I now order from Amazon.

Here is an article that is worth a read: https://news.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=210&catId=633&Id=10409548

 

[paw7004]

This is a Vet VENT: I just paid overy $50.00 for a neo/poly/dex eye ointment at the Vet's office. I checked on Chewy dot com and this same medication is <$13.00!!!
I feel like such a dumb dumb now.

I worked as a virtual bookkeeper for an out-of-state vet for 2 years and got a great understanding on the amount of overhead that her practice had to cover. The cost of equipment, security costs due to meds on premises, health benefits for her employees, continuing education and the rent of her office! Geez, that was $3500/month! Her own salary was $40,000 annually, pretty low I thought. She didn't seem to charge a large increase for the meds and an office visit cost was reasonable. That said, when I moved a couple of years ago, I started taking Pork Chop to another vet office close to home and it does charge more for meds and shampoos, etc, like 30%. Having worked that bookkeeping job, I had a hard time with that significant markup. Pork Chop is 11 yrs old now and I was told that he needs bloodwork done every 6 months to get his Gabapentin and Carprofen refills. That's $150 each time! Plus now he's on Optimmune eye ointment for dry eye. That is $56/2 weeks for a little tube that is 1/4 air. He also gets frequent bouts of some fungus that causes hair loss and the shampoo was $30. I decided to go back to my previous vet and it's worth the 1 hour drive. When it came time for the refills, she said to check out Chewy and the Gabapentin, a human med, was cheaper at Walmart and use GoodRX. That saved me about $90! The eye ointment though, is a canine product and no discount for that. I was delighted that she suggested those alternatives but maybe it was because she knows I'm retired and money is a bit tight. I do understand that there has to be a way for the vets to cover overhead but is it "reasonable"?

 

[cali baker]

my daughter is in her last year of Vet school. She is very concerned about Chewy and how they are trying to monopolize the vet pharmaceutical industry and the vet care industry itself. Vet clinics mark up the medicine prices to help their bottom line. You can always tell your Vet that you can take the prescription and price shop it yourself. They may be willing to offer the medicine at a discounted rate, that is in line or cheaper than Chewy. If they are not, please consider an option other than Chewy. My vet is very reasonable with their prices on medications. If I am paying a little more, I chuck it up to convenience, no shipping wait time, and supporting my vet.

Chewy is also aggressive in trying to implement virtual health visits to dominate the vet care industry. Sorry Chewy, I will stick with my own Vet and human to canine real life interaction.

Because of all of this, I have stopped buying items from Chewy. I am no longer a customer of theirs. The Nordic Naturals fish oil and the Malcetic wipes I previously ordered, I now order from Amazon.

Here is an article that is worth a read: https://news.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=210&catId=633&Id=1040954

Thanks, this is very interesting. I completely understand marking up the cost of the drug, but to mark it up 150% in my example (if i did my math correctly) seems very over-the-top. I'm a pharmacist myself and though I don't have my own practice, I understand that drug mark-ups are necessary for survival.

Interesting read on Chewy too. Thanku for sharing the article.

 

[cali baker]

I worked as a virtual bookkeeper for an out-of-state vet for 2 years and got a great understanding on the amount of overhead that her practice had to cover. The cost of equipment, security costs due to meds on premises, health benefits for her employees, continuing education and the rent of her office! Geez, that was $3500/month! Her own salary was $40,000 annually, pretty low I thought. She didn't seem to charge a large increase for the meds and an office visit cost was reasonable. That said, when I moved a couple of years ago, I started taking Pork Chop to another vet office close to home and it does charge more for meds and shampoos, etc, like 30%. Having worked that bookkeeping job, I had a hard time with that significant markup. Pork Chop is 11 yrs old now and I was told that he needs bloodwork done every 6 months to get his Gabapentin and Carprofen refills. That's $150 each time! Plus now he's on Optimmune eye ointment for dry eye. That is $56/2 weeks for a little tube that is 1/4 air. He also gets frequent bouts of some fungus that causes hair loss and the shampoo was $30. I decided to go back to my previous vet and it's worth the 1 hour drive. When it came time for the refills, she said to check out Chewy and the Gabapentin, a human med, was cheaper at Walmart and use GoodRX. That saved me about $90! The eye ointment though, is a canine product and no discount for that. I was delighted that she suggested those alternatives but maybe it was because she knows I'm retired and money is a bit tight. I do understand that there has to be a way for the vets to cover overhead but is it "reasonable"?

I hear you! Interestingly, my boy Finn is also on Optimmune--that little tube is expensive but works wonders, doesn't it? I may call some pharmacies to compare prices for that one.

 

[Cbrugs]

I worked as a virtual bookkeeper for an out-of-state vet for 2 years and got a great understanding on the amount of overhead that her practice had to cover. The cost of equipment, security costs due to meds on premises, health benefits for her employees, continuing education and the rent of her office! Geez, that was $3500/month! Her own salary was $40,000 annually, pretty low I thought. She didn't seem to charge a large increase for the meds and an office visit cost was reasonable. That said, when I moved a couple of years ago, I started taking Pork Chop to another vet office close to home and it does charge more for meds and shampoos, etc, like 30%. Having worked that bookkeeping job, I had a hard time with that significant markup. Pork Chop is 11 yrs old now and I was told that he needs bloodwork done every 6 months to get his Gabapentin and Carprofen refills. That's $150 each time! Plus now he's on Optimmune eye ointment for dry eye. That is $56/2 weeks for a little tube that is 1/4 air. He also gets frequent bouts of some fungus that causes hair loss and the shampoo was $30. I decided to go back to my previous vet and it's worth the 1 hour drive. When it came time for the refills, she said to check out Chewy and the Gabapentin, a human med, was cheaper at Walmart and use GoodRX. That saved me about $90! The eye ointment though, is a canine product and no discount for that. I was delighted that she suggested those alternatives but maybe it was because she knows I'm retired and money is a bit tight. I do understand that there has to be a way for the vets to cover overhead but is it "reasonable"?

My vet does give me a prescription for any of the human drugs I give (Gabapentin, Prozac, etc) so I can fill them at my regular pharmacy.

 

[2BullyMama]

So sad… there is nothing we can trust any longer, been this way a long time but it seems to just keep getting worse.

we our lucky, our vet does … does this at home with ‘xyz’ for a lot of what would we need. In some case he will give us sample bottles and not charge us.

 

[cali baker]

So sad… there is nothing we can trust any longer, been this way a long time but it seems to just keep getting worse.

we our lucky, our vet does … does this at home with ‘xyz’ for a lot of what would we need. In some case he will give us sample bottles and not charge us.

That's awesome, Christine! I think my vet's office has been very overwhelmed and under-staffed lately (not that this justifies the big price hikes on meds). You are fortunate to have a great vet!

 

[Gadgetfreak]

my daughter is in her last year of Vet school. She is very concerned about Chewy and how they are trying to monopolize the vet pharmaceutical industry and the vet care industry itself. Vet clinics mark up the medicine prices to help their bottom line. You can always tell your Vet that you can take the prescription and price shop it yourself. They may be willing to offer the medicine at a discounted rate, that is in line or cheaper than Chewy. If they are not, please consider an option other than Chewy. My vet is very reasonable with their prices on medications. If I am paying a little more, I chuck it up to convenience, no shipping wait time, and supporting my vet.

Chewy is also aggressive in trying to implement virtual health visits to dominate the vet care industry. Sorry Chewy, I will stick with my own Vet and human to canine real life interaction.

Because of all of this, I have stopped buying items from Chewy. I am no longer a customer of theirs. The Nordic Naturals fish oil and the Malcetic wipes I previously ordered, I now order from Amazon.

Here is an article that is worth a read: https://news.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=210&catId=633&Id=10409548

I was totally with you until you said you now go to Amazon?? They are the leaders at global takeover.