How do you get your vet to prescribe than sell you your pet's medication?

[harveyspecter]

It is obvious that the Vet Office would rather sell you the medication at their marked up prices than writing you a prescription so you can order online. As individuals, we always get our prescription from our doctors so we can go to CVS or Rite Aid.

Why not with our dogs. I asked the vet if she could write me the prescription and she just told me to call the vet office when I ran out. Not the direction I was hoping as the internet's prices are much more reasonable... up to 50% discount for example.

So what can we do... I mean money does not necessarily grow on trees needless to say?

 

[CCandMurray]

I'm honestly not 100% how this works and I do need to educate myself. I will offer, though, that many regular pharmacies CVS, Walgreens, etc. offer listings of pet meds that are available to pick up there. I will be 100% honest and say that I am a fairly new pet parent and Murray is the first dog that I've had as an adult, his vet is a friend of mine that I've known since we were kids and when I see her next I will try to get an honest response on this.

 

[Libra926]

I work for Costco and we sell pet meds all the time. More and more retail pharmacies are starting to do this. I never get mine from my vet anymore if I can help it. In fact....you don't even have to get a prescription from your vet. My vet just picks up the phone and calls it in if need be. There are certain meds that my Costco won't or can't carry.

Also, a lot of the medication that vets prescribe ARE actually human meds.

Costco offers a plan for members that is called CMPP. Costco Member Prescription Program. This is a program Costco offers their Members and their dependents who don't have prescription insurance. Since your furkid is a dependent they qualify for the additional discount.

 

[Biogirl71]

That is really interesting and helpful! I will definitely need to look into that the next time Frank needs meds.

 

[Donnam]

Wow, this is all new to me. Occasionally, my vets have given me prescriptions to have filled at the pharmacy when they don't have something in their office. Otherwise, I've always just gotten it from the vet. Never even thought of asking for a script!

 

[Vikinggirl]

You can ask your vet to write you a prescription and have it filled at a pharmacy, as many meds used are the same for humans and animals. The pharmacy is much cheaper than what the vet charges. Also there are many over the counter products and supplements that are safe for dogs as well.

 

[NewEnglandBully]

[MENTION=12554]harveyspecter[/MENTION] I am very interested in this point you just brought up! I think you may have inspired a new piece…I am going to look into this!!

 

[1Chumly]

I almost always ask my vet to write a prescription for pills. Eye drops I don't. Another time I don't is if I am bringing my dog/cat home after surgery and I need everything right then and don't want to spend time waiting for it to be filled elsewhere. One vet practice used to charge me $15 for the initial prescription but I don't go there anymore and I haven't been charged anywhere since. It does save a lot of money. My dachshund is on Amitriptyline which the vet will charge over $28. Kroger charges $11 (used to be $4 but they recently changed it).

 

[ddnene]

I have actually asked my vet to do this, we have gotten many meds thru our regular pharmacy. The vet's mark ups are ridiculous…

 

[dolphin]

Vets charge want they want and a lot of them gouge the public! Excellent topic [MENTION=12554]harveyspecter[/MENTION] this is one subject that no one really thinks about. When our French was diagnosed with cancer the price of the meds alone were over $9000 and 3 of them from a regular CVS was more then 40% off the price that the cancer centre was going to charge.

I think the one thing that people would always be worried about is the care that your dog would get after demanding a prescription and that would be a GREAT concern. But on the other hand if you ARE going to a reputable bully doctor I don't think it would make a bit of difference.

Awesome thread.

 

[harveyspecter]

Vets charge want they want and a lot of them gouge the public! Excellent topic @harveyspecter this is one subject that no one really thinks about. When our French was diagnosed with cancer the price of the meds alone were over $9000 and 3 of them from a regular CVS was more then 40% off the price that the cancer centre was going to charge.

I think the one thing that people would always be worried about is the care that your dog would get after demanding a prescription and that would be a GREAT concern. But on the other hand if you ARE going to a reputable bully doctor I don't think it would make a bit of difference.

Awesome thread.

Nailed it. Same as our regular docs, they have no issue writing a prescription as they got paid for the consultation. Not that we want the vets to make money, at the same time I do not want to overpay for medication that you can get elsewhere @ a 50% discount.

hope all is well, merry x'mas & happy Hanukkah to all.

 

[aprilemari]

We ask our vet directly for a prescription, especially for antibiotics and metronidazole because they are quite inexpensive at our local pharmacy. In the states though, prescriptions for pets are not covered and I think we've paid around $30 for three weeks worth of antibiotics (in the US, when we lived in canada this was lmore like $8). Just picked up some stronger antibiotics at the vet, it was $115 for 14 pills. which we cut in half. pissed. Another med Lola takes, vanactyl-p/temaril-p is not for humans, so I've asked our vet to mail me a prescription so I can get it by mail order myself. She did give me a discount since we take it as a chronic medication rather than acute, but I can find it online for 0.56/pill, vet is still 0.76/pill.

 

[madie4589]

yes I have also learned it is as simple as asking, otherwise you're stuck paying the high high high vet prices. I usually ask for a script to be written up unless frank is really sick and we just need to get home and get him to bed with meds immediately.

 

[harveyspecter]

yes I have also learned it is as simple as asking, otherwise you're stuck paying the high high high vet prices. I usually ask for a script to be written up unless frank is really sick and we just need to get home and get him to bed with meds immediately.

thanks, I will do that. I am just taken aback when you go to the counter and the counterperson start keying in all the line items at their prices.

 

[nycbullymama]

This is an excellent thread [MENTION=12554]harveyspecter[/MENTION]

In my case, my vet has been cheaper than my local pharmacy. But it's a small family owned drug store, not a Rite-Aid. Granted, I haven't tried every time, just once and without a script. Just walked in and asked what they would charge me for a specific antibiotic.
But if one of my mine needed to be on medication long term, I would use 1800petmeds. I found them to have the best prices.