Getting prescription drugs online - why do vets make it difficult?

[djlynwood]

I think I know the answer, they are a business to make money! Im in a redundancy situation and want to try and save money but I have a cat who is on thyroid medication for the rest of his life.

It costs me £40.11 every month for his tablets and they insist on a blood test every other month also at a cost of £40.00.

I have looked online and found the medication for £16.95, an awful lot cheaper then the vets.

I have just phoned vets to ask for a prescription. The prescription costs £10.00 and they advised me that I would still need to take him in for a consultation every month at a cost of £24.00. They explained that they insist on seeing the animal as it covers their back if the online medication is not what it is suppose to be.

This would defeat getting the tablets cheaper online and Im tied to going to the vets and paying £40.00 per month for them.

I know this is in the dogs section but I wanted to know how other people get on with the vets and getting prescriptions online.

 

[Kellys Heroes]

I do agree to a certain extent but the drugs companies are making it so difficult now they've put their prices up horrendously (meaning the vets are having to bump their prices up to still make a profit) and they're also tied to using animal only medication rather than using human and animal medication which is cheaper - example? Our GSD is on Atopica which is human cyclosporin; a lot cheaper. But she isn't covered on insurance and neither are our vets to use cyclosporin, it has to be Atopica

And I guess they want to keep seeing you to make sure the cats condition hasn't changed? Don't want to be giving him more/less medication than is needed
but also agreed, I wish we could order meds off the net its so much cheaper and easier (our GSD isn't good in the vets at all) than having to keep returning!! (And paying the fast becoming extortionate consult fees!)

Overall though, our vets are very reasonable with us (probably because they get so much money out of us!) so I can't really complain about them but I know of surgeries in the area who will take £40 off you before they've even looked at the animal!

 

[MurphysMinder]

Have to say I am lucky because my vets actually suggested I get pergolide for our pony elsewhere as they couldn't buy it in as cheap. The vet has even rung round local vets to try and find it for me . Yes vets are in business, but often they cannot get drugs at competitive prices. They maya only order 2 lots of a drug per month, whilst the online companies purchse huge amounts, that is often why they can get them at much better prices. It is like a large supermarket versus the corner store.
Interestingly, I usually get my dog and cat wormers online. Recently I got some from the vet as I happened to be in there, and the wormer was cheaper than online!

 

[ha903070]

You are right they are trying to make money for their business but I think your vets maybe being a bit hard on you.

I have a cat that has a heart murmur, he isnt insured for it as he had it when I rescued him from RSPCA (they didnt tell me he needed drugs everyday and the costs involved - nor did they tell me he was deaf even though I asked them!!)

Anyway like you I have to pay £10 for his prescription as his drugs are far cheaper online. But I only have to take him every 6 months for a check up and they give me a prescription for 6 months worth of drugs. I still think £10 is extortionate for 30 seconds printing and a signature but I have to pay it.

Perhaps think about asking another vets practice if they will assist you? Some are more supportive than others. At least that would save you £10 a month in the long term it soon adds up.

Good luck with it, some vets are more helpful in allowing you to save money than others.

 

[anadain]

If its a long term condition I think your vets are being a little unfair in asking you to go every month I think the bloods test and prescription should be done every 6 months - however what I will say is that they could be covering themselves - in the society we now live in if something goes wrong its the vets fault! I know of peoples bitches who have died following an emergency ceaser and is it their fault that they put the bitch in whelp? No its the vets fault! So while I think they are being unfair they are maybe covering themselves.

£10 for a prescription really is not that much - they might just have to sign the form but the years of training they went through to enable them to do it have to be paid for - they also have to bring up the records every time update them etc Some vets charge £25 per item on a prescription so thats a good price!

 

[BigRed]

Tell your vet you want a prescription for 6 months and buy 6 monthd drugs online. That will save you money on the drugs bill. You do not have to take your car back every month for a blood test - it is not the law, it is just what they prefer. If your relationship with your vet is so poor that they don't listen to what you tell them, just take your business to another vet.

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

If you get your meds online from a reputable company, the vets shouldn't be too concerned regarding their efficacy & quality. Its a bit cheeky to suggest you have the cats bloods tested every month instead of bi-monthly for that reason alone. I would think if you got six months supply, they would be from the same batch & just checking the bloods after the first months supply would indicate their quality. Prescription charges do vary from practice to practice though & £10.00 isn't unreasonable compared to some charges. If your vets insist on seeing the cat every month have a ring around other vets to see if they can offer a cheaper service.

 

[cbmcts]

Change vets!
Unless they are very special for some reasonRing round some of your local vets and ask their policy on prescriptions and what they charge, also the cost of whatever meds your cat is on - then, taking into account their attitude over the phone etc, think about changing The "chain practices" are usually very good about things like this and clear pricing.

I also had a cat with an overactive thyroid and had on going rows with my vet about prescriptions - well, mainly his wife who was the receptionist - and at that time they weren't allowed charge for the prescription. Once they could charge for scripts they got so spiteful and greedy that I told the owner/chief vet that he was losing my business as a direct result - bye, bye the fees from 3 cats all elderly,3 dogs one with on going health issues and 2 horses. Just standard consultations and vaccs was costing me over £500pa not to mention all the other on going stuff....while not all profit I wonder what margin he had on the £1k pa he lost through his wifes stinky attitude and his own greed?

I take the view that I look for value for money on everything else I buy so why not on vet care? Don't get me wrong, cheap isn't always better but it also doesn't follow that you have to pay through the nose for a service to be good!