Getting a prescription off a vet to use online

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poiuytrewq

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I'm currently buying long term medication for both a horse and a dog.
It's quite expensive!
I asked the horse vet for a prescription which he gave me but didn't seem overly happy and made a point that he was doing it as a favour and not charging but that next time he had to charge for writing it up. I'll still be saving a lot on this horse med so that's ok.
I've just looked up my dogs meds also though on ******s who I use regularly and one of his tablets is over half price cheaper.
My question is do the vets loose out much if I ask for a prescription? My dogs vets are fab and have been absolutely brilliant with all our dogs and I don't want to upset them!
How does it all work? Is it a big deal to stop buying my medication off them or not?!
 
Yes, like I say I'm happy to pay for it. I certainly didn't ask for it free, he put it in the post with a foc note.
I was more worried that it might be like a "use your local services" kind of thing as they can't compete with big internet companies?
 
my horses medication costs £85 per box from the vet and I can buy it for £50 off an online pharmacy - they will still be making a profit from the sale!!, so even if i had to pay £15 for a prescription it would still be cheaper.
My cats vets charged me £28 for some ear drops - i can buy the exact same thing for £9 and its the same with the advocate they use. If vets were more realistic then I would buy from them.
 
mjcssjw2 said:
my horses medication costs £85 per box from the vet and I can buy it for £50 off an online pharmacy - they will still be making a profit from the sale!!, so even if i had to pay £15 for a prescription it would still be cheaper.
My cats vets charged me £28 for some ear drops - i can buy the exact same thing for £9 and its the same with the advocate they use. If vets were more realistic then I would buy from them.
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I did read about this on a vet page on facebook a while back and a vet commented to defend themselves saying that the amounts a vet practise buys say per month of each drug compared to the amount dan online pharmacy buy is so tiny that the prices they have to pay per item is so much higher.
Makes sense? Still totally agree from our (owners) point of view, my horses meds are about the same price as yours so it's a huge saving and has to be done.
 
I don't think it is fair for him to be unhappy about it, he will still be making some money from future prescriptions and he did not have to do you one for free? However the amount they will make/lose depends on the drug cost and prescription costs to the practice.

Online companies have huge warehouses, buy in bulk, buying power to obtain the best deals and discounts, limited overheads compared to a veterinary practise etc. Most vets cannot even buy in drugs at the prices that online pharmacies are selling them for.

OP just ignore the vet, he may have just had a bad day! Just make sure you use a good reputable online company!
 
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poiuytrewq said:
I did read about this on a vet page on facebook a while back and a vet commented to defend themselves saying that the amounts a vet practise buys say per month of each drug compared to the amount dan online pharmacy buy is so tiny that the prices they have to pay per item is so much higher.
Makes sense? Still totally agree from our (owners) point of view, my horses meds
are about the same price as yours so it's a huge saving and has to be done.
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Danilon? My vets won't match pharmacy, dont think they can , I save £45 a box
 
In defence of Vets to certain extent they are up against it > My cattle vet for example has started buying their stock drugs from the online sources as they are a lot cheaper than the wholesalers they usually use.
For routine prescription drugs that we use they actually suggest to use which ever online source is cheapest and will email scripts direct to them often before they have even asked you.
Now the big thing most vets clients forget is the drugs are cheaper ,however they are payed for before dispatchand the companies do not have to hang around months in some cases waiting for payment. My equine vet actually insists on some of his clients buying their long term drugs on line as they do not have to have that money outstanding.
 
Drugs from my vets are extortionate so i don't have a choice but to buy online (the lovely vet treating my mare actually told me to bless her!) Her prascend and the prescription cost me £115 online. Would have been just over £200 from the vets.

I would ordinarily be happy to support my vets and buy from them but at nearly £100 difference i just cant!
 
I asked my vet for a prescription for Prascend, pointing out that my horse could be on it for years and the difference it would make to the cost. He rang me back a bit later offering me a decent reduction if I carried on getting it from him - made me very happy! I like my vets!
 
Highlands said:
Danilon? My vets won't match pharmacy, dont think they can , I save £45 a box
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Yes Danilon is what I'm using also. I get mine from Vio vet, is that who you use?
It was my horse vet who seemed a bit funny hence the reason I asked here before asking my dogs vet about getting a prescription. I think I will do so at my next appointment.
 
Ask the vets if they can price match? They most probably can't get it in as cheaply as you can buy from online, so if they charge you a prescription fee to buy online could make more out of it than just selling you the drugs on at what they buy them for!
 
Having worked on a stud with an employed vet who ordered and dispensed the drugs for everything the practice vets make a HUGE profit from drug mark up. An owner is hardly going to say know if they don't know they can buy cheaper online?

The vet at this stud said most drugs were marked up at least %150....

Here in Australia powdered oral antibiotics are around $90 for a four day supply from the practice vet.... The vet who was employed by the stud and only ordered small quantities paid under $20 per tub!
 
Most vet practices belong to buying groups so they do get the advantage of volume discounts etc. There is a huge mark up on drugs.
 
It's still a learning process for a lot of them - when I first asked my horse vet a couple of years ago it took a long time and the first copy he forgot to sign! But it is running fairly smoothly now (Prascend and Danilon so savings I can't ignore) and arrives within a day or two. If more of us did it they would get used to it - goodness knows they charge enough for consultations anyway.
 
Umbongo said:
Online companies have huge warehouses, buy in bulk, buying power to obtain the best deals and discounts, limited overheads compared to a veterinary practise etc. Most vets cannot even buy in drugs at the prices that online pharmacies are selling them !
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This, plus none of these online companies have to pay someone who is there to come out to you 24/7 365 days a year! If people buy more meds online don't be suprised if your call out fees go up. Vets are after all a business and need to make money to pay their staff.
 
I changed vets at one time due to my old horse being on long term painkillers and when I looked up how much less I could buy them for on-line, I asked the vet for a prescription, only to have him saying (words to the effect of) yes of course you can have a prescription - that will be £60 please!!
I changed vets and was charged £10 for a prescription.
 
My old horse has been on prascend now for 3 years + a sachet or sometimes 2 of bute if he is struggling in the wet and cold with his arthritis. Initially my vet gave me a 15% discount off my prescriptions but recently I had to up the dose of prascend. My vet was very happy to let me have a prescription to use online as he appreciated the cost of keeping my old retired boy healthy and happy was escalating and felt the welfare of the horse was more important than a bit of profit
 
furrycat said:
Most vet practices belong to buying groups so they do get the advantage of volume discounts etc. There is a huge mark up on drugs.
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Sadly even with buying group discount, we still cannot buy in most drugs at the price online companies are selling it for!
 
I only had one drug via the vets and that was because it was a class B controlled drug and I couldn't have bought the volumes I needed via the internet. They were very good and didn't charge me anything above the supplier's price. The other drugs I used though were all bought on-line with the vets blessing. I had to have her checked every 6 months anyway and they would bring the next prescription with them and make sure it had 5 repeats on it. Good value for £10 and it saved me a bomb.
 
My vets have never once questioned giving me a prescription - They usually offer it if its something particularly expensive or something I will need long term. They still make money from my prescription (plus all my other bills!) that they wouldn't get if I went to a different vets for it.
 
I haven't read all the replies but it's in the code of conduct of the RCVS that vets must provide prescriptions for drugs to be purchased elsewhere. I know this because I've scrutinised it in detail for their obligations to provide past medical records (they're being awkward for an insurance claim as they're my ex-vets). For the record, this is required by the Data Protection/ Freedom of Information Act so don't ever let them get away with it. They have obligations.
 
I thought, and I could be wrong, that by law a vet has to issue you with a prescription if requested. They can charge for writing the prescription, but cannot refuse to provide one.

I pay £9 for a prescription, very rarely request one, but my horse was on Hyonate for a long time and my vet couldn't buy the drug for what I was getting it for and understood why I wished to purchase elsewhere
 
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when i last ordered stuff from NVS for work I paid 80p for a bottle of water for injection (it was a long time ago - but the same principle applies)I coincidntally needed some for a horse injury at the same time the vet charged £12.50 on my vet bill, My vet could have ordered it from NVS - I don't know as I don't order his stuff, but he could order it from there and pay the same as me, so don't tell me they have to pay more than online companies as that wasn't even one it was a vet supply company. I actually did all the procing for my horses current prescription being prepared to buy at least some off the vets - but its just too expensive. They will however make money of my call out and visit and the treatment they left whilst they were there.
 
Slightly off topic but I used to get a prescription from my vet for my dog's flea treatment. Old vet practice charged me £5 so when I bought the stuff online, in total it cost me £27 when it would have been £50 from the vet. I've moved house and changed vet practices and current one charges me £20 for a prescription for flea treatment, which means even though the rates are cheaper online, I spend in total £50 when I would be better off buying it from the vets then! Very annoying :(
 
this is a question i have been pondering. i really don't want to do it as I believe in supporting the vets, but my monthly mdeication is £90 from the vet and £52 online. I have been told our vets charge £30, but I must ring them to find out.
 
poiuytrewq said:
Yes Danilon is what I'm using also. I get mine from Vio vet, is that who you use?
It was my horse vet who seemed a bit funny hence the reason I asked here before asking my dogs vet about getting a prescription. I think I will do so at my next appointment.
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Yes , it's anti competition they should give you a prescription. Mine are excellent vets but this is where they make the money. I save £40 a box
 
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