Buying medicine online - recommendations please

[suestowford]

I'm new to online ordering of medicines and now have two who need a constant supply of various meds. I've been looking around at the various companies and there's quite a variation on pricing. Do you just go to the cheapest place? Or are some more reliable than others?
I'd be very grateful if anyone had any particular recommendations.

 

[criso]

I just do the cheapest from a range that I've used in the past. I've used.


Evetdrug
Vetimed
Animed
Viovet
Hyperdrug
Pet drugs online


I normally go for the standard free delivery rather than next day but allow plenty of time.

If it's a prescription for more than one box, bottle or syringe, I often order part and they have the prescription for when I want to order the rest. Some even email you if your prescription is about to expire.

 

[cauda equina]

I get my Danilon from Viovet
I started because they were the cheapest at the time, and carried on because they've always delivered quickly and reliably

 

[Tiddlypom]

I get both Danilon and Prascend on line.

Viovet is very reliable and once you have lodged the prescription you can see exactly how much medication is left on your account, and when the 6 month prescription runs out. You can set it to deliver at set intervals of your choice or buy it as and when.

I have also used 365 Vet, who are a bit cheaper and delivery is very prompt, but as yet they do not give you an on line account in which to check your medication status like Viovet do - you need to keep your own records for that.

Viovet wins for convenience, 365 Vet for price.

 

[criso]

I think it depends on the price difference as well, if it's £2 difference on a box of 100 Bute, you might go for added service. However I am currently looking at Domosedan and Viovet is £41, I can get it for £26/£28 elsewhere.

And it's not one place that is consistently cheaper, it really varies on the drug.

 

[Bernster]

Only done it a few times but I’ve gone for the cheapest - originally used viovet and then eVet. My vet charges for the prescription so it needs to still be cheaper than their price without the prescription fee.

 

[Annagain]

I use Pet drugs online for both the horse and the dog. I check prices when I need to order more and they're usually the cheapest or not far off and have been really helpful in the past so I've stuck with them.

 

[criso]

Only done it a few times but I’ve gone for the cheapest - originally used viovet and then eVet. My vet charges for the prescription so it needs to still be cheaper than their price without the prescription fee.

That's why I try and get a prescription for more and buy some of it at the end of the 6 months. With Bute "up to 2 a day" could get me 3 boxes and the Domosedan for clipping is for an autumn and January clip and a spare in case we don't finish before he wakes up so 3. Vet is very amenable.

 

[suestowford]

At the moment it's Bute I'm looking at. The vet charges £200 for 100 sachets, the cheapest I have found so far is £68 online. It's £23 for a prescription.
It will be Prascend next but I think I will shop around. Every penny counts when you have ancient ponies!
I really appreciate all of you who have taken the time to answer my question Thank you.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Animed was cheaper than viovet when I last bought meds online. Just check that the added charge of the prescription doesn't send the price rocketing. Some prescription charges on here are pretty outrageous.

 

[criso]

At the moment it's Bute I'm looking at. The vet charges £200 for 100 sachets, the cheapest I have found so far is £68 online. It's £23 for a prescription.
It will be Prascend next but I think I will shop around. Every penny counts when you have ancient ponies!
I really appreciate all of you who have taken the time to answer my question Thank you.

Remember you can get 6 months on one prescription. Assuming 1 a day, then 200 would be reasonable, 1 to 2 a day and you can get 300.

 

[fidleyspromise]

I use 365vet every 6 months for Damilon and have for 2-3 years now.
I've found them to be the cheapest and delivery is within a couple of days.

I was put off Viovet as I ordered a couple times but it took about 3 weeks for stuff to arrive.

 

[rextherobber]

I use 365vet every 6 months for Damilon and have for 2-3 years now.
I've found them to be the cheapest and delivery is within a couple of days.

I was put off Viovet as I ordered a couple times but it took about 3 weeks for stuff to arrive.

I was reading this thinking, "Surely I'm not the only one to have has problems with Viovet recently." I've stopped using them as they are ridiculously slow now

 

[meleeka]

At the moment it's Bute I'm looking at. The vet charges £200 for 100 sachets, the cheapest I have found so far is £68 online. It's £23 for a prescription.
It will be Prascend next but I think I will shop around. Every penny counts when you have ancient ponies!
I really appreciate all of you who have taken the time to answer my question Thank you.

My vets price match both Bute and Prascend. It’s a CVS vet and they gave me their own brand Butilieve for £70. Prascend is currently around £1.08 so that’s what I’m paying from my vet.

 

[suestowford]

I was put off Viovet as I ordered a couple times but it took about 3 weeks for stuff to arrive.

Yes, I've waited a LONG time for pet food from them so I wouldn't want to order meds from them if I was in a hurry!

 

[outdoor girl]

365 Vet. Used them for years for various things. I always do a scout round the various sites and their prices are usually the best. I've never had a problem with delivery.

 

[Birker2020]

I'm new to online ordering of medicines and now have two who need a constant supply of various meds. I've been looking around at the various companies and there's quite a variation on pricing. Do you just go to the cheapest place? Or are some more reliable than others?
I'd be very grateful if anyone had any particular recommendations.

I've always used evet for bute and viovet for supplements like Acid Ease and Myoplast.

My old vet used to do a price comparison where you found the cheap drug from a 'legit' pharmacy online and they would price match it. You still had to pay for a prescription charge of around £18 but over a course of two boxes (within 6 months) I would save £84 on what the vets would have charged me by doing this during the time period I was using this system. So when I say I used evet, I used them for a price comparison with my vets.

 

[suestowford]

Remember you can get 6 months on one prescription. Assuming 1 a day, then 200 would be reasonable, 1 to 2 a day and you can get 300.

That's a good point, I hadn't thought of that, thank you!
But tbh I will probs just get 100, he's an old pony with arthritis and while he's doing OK at the moment, there will come a day when he isn't, and I don't want to get too much at a time and be left with it if he has to be pts.

 

[criso]

That's a good point, I hadn't thought of that, thank you!
But tbh I will probs just get 100, he's an old pony with arthritis and while he's doing OK at the moment, there will come a day when he isn't, and I don't want to get too much at a time and be left with it if he has to be pts.

You don't need to buy it all at once. The companies let you buy 1 box at a time. They keep your prescription on file and when you're ready to buy the next box, you do. As long as you use it before the prescription runs out.

I was 2 boxes in when I had my retired tb pts. They did email to remind me I had an outstanding box just before the 6 months were up but other horse preferred Danilon so I didn't use it.
The prescription costs the same for 1 or 3 boxes.

 

[suestowford]

Thanks Criso, I didn't know that either!
It's been a school day for me this morning and I'm very grateful for this information

 

[Merlintrude]

My vet practice is a CVS vet, but they don't do the price matching on medication, or at least they have never offered to.

My 25 year old gelding was on Prascend for about 5 years before I discovered I could buy the tablets much cheaper online than what I had been paying my vet (I usually use 365vet). The vet charges £20 for the prescription and has always given me a prescription for 160 tablets with two repeats. This means I can pay the lower price 365vet sells at if you buy two or more boxes. He is on 1.5 tablets a day, so the prescription lasts for about 10 months.

Today, they said it is illegal to issue a prescription for more than 6 months worth of tablets and so made it for 160 tablets and no repeats. I argued that they have given me a repeating prescription for several years, and that 160 tablets would only last for 3.5 months anyway, and they put it up to exactly cover 6 months. This means I have to pay more to 365vet for each tablet, plus another prescription charge in 6 months time. When money is tight this is a shock. I am wondering about perhaps only giving him one tablet and seeing how he does.

Assuming they haven't been breaking the law for several years - has anyone else heard there is a new law requiring them to limit his prescription like this? Or do I need to find a more understanding/helpful vet?

 

[suestowford]

I have done my order. I did get 200 ordered in the end as the prescription was only valid for one month. Anyway, pony is now sorted for the next 6 months

Merlintrude there does seem to be some variation between vets. It does seem odd that they won't do a repeat for Prascend - it's not as though you just give it for a while and then you can stop. Prascend is for life.

 

[criso]

It is 6 months, they have to see the horse every 6 months before continuing so then it's a new prescription.

My vet is quite understanding so "seeing" the horse would be literally looking over the door when he's on the yard, no exam fee but this was a horse with a condition that wasn't going to improve that had been under his care for years and we'd chat about how he was whenever vet was on the yard.

I got 3 x100 Bute on a single prescription on a dosage of up to 2 per day though I sometimes gave 1.

I get 3 x Domosedan on the basis of 2 winter clips and possibly needing a second dose a few days later if we can't finish the clip before he comes round.