Vets prescriptions

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lelly

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Hi, Seasons greetings to all.
I am thinking of asking my vet for a prescription for Prascend for my Cushings pony. I recently collected 60 tablets which cost £90.60. She is having one a day at the moment. If I was to get them online I can get them for around £54. My vets charge £18 a prescription every twelve weeks. On a box of 160 tablets my vets are over £100 more. I know they have overheads but I feel I am being ripped off. Do your vets happily give you a prescription? I am feeling guilty about asking them. Do they still give you the same service? I am worried, if I start getting prescriptions, I may not be able to get them out when I need them. I have been loyal to my vets for 30 odd years and pay up straight away. They are excellent equine vets so don't want to change.
 
no need to threaten anything like changing - as long as your horse gets seen twice a year theres no reason for them to say no - just explain that you can get it online for much much less than they charge and could they please give you a prescription. Most vets cant buy the stocks of drugs that the online companies do, thats why they cant charge the same prices as them - the more you get, the cheaper you can get it at - but you have to store it !!
 
Don't feel guilty about asking them, most vets will quite happily give you a written prescription and as long as the horse is seen every 6 months for a repeat checkup, they cant refuse. The vets i used to work at were always fine, they understood these drugs were expensive and that people could get them cheaper online. :)
 
I have just got a prescription from my vets for regumate, as they charge £150 for a litre where I can get it from pet dispensary
 
I have just got a prescription from my vets for regumate, as they charge £150 for a litre where I can get it from pet dispensary for just over £100, I just asked my vets and they sent it to me, it did cost £16 for the prescription but they will give me 3 repeat prescriptions for this amount. Just ask they have to have you one
 
My vets charge £10 per prescription but even with the cost of the prescription I have found I can save POUNDS by shopping online, vets REALLY do over charge on their drugs and I for one will not line their pockets.
A drug we use for our dog is £40.50 from the vets for 100ml but I can get it online for £12.50 !
 
My vets charge £12 for a prescription, they give me a 2 x repeat which means one prescription lasts for nearly 8 months (pony is on 2 prascend a day). They are happy to give a prescription, in fact they first suggested it when she was on pergolide which was cheaper from a chemists. However last time I phone for a prescription the vets could supply the prascend for only £8 more than the online price so I got it through them, less hassle. It is always worth asking your vets for their current prices, sometimes they can be competitive if they have bought in at a good price.
 
cremedemonthe said:
vets REALLY do over charge on their drugs and I for one will not line their pockets.
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I think you'll find its not that they are overcharging, but they are unable to purchase the drugs at the same prices that online companies who buy in bulk. If they have to pay more then they have to charge more.

Having worked in both Pharmacy and Veterinary, I can tell you sometimes the prices that Vets have to pay for drugs are way higher than they can be bought in Pharmacies.
 
Britestar said:
I think you'll find its not that they are overcharging, but they are unable to purchase the drugs at the same prices that online companies who buy in bulk. If they have to pay more then they have to charge more.

Having worked in both Pharmacy and Veterinary, I can tell you sometimes the prices that Vets have to pay for drugs are way higher than they can be bought in Pharmacies.
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Exactly this. Some vets may put on a large mark up but more often they are buying in at higher prices than the online pharmacies sell, it is all down to bulk buying. I work in a small independent clothing shop, some lines we stock are sold in the big chains such as matalan for less than my boss can buy them for, what chance does the little business have.:mad:
 
Thanks for all your replies, they are very much appreciated. I am definitely going to ask about a prescription when I need some more Prascend. I do understand that sometimes the vets can't buy the drugs as cheaply as some online stores but this is a huge equine practice with three other practices, so a big affair. I still feel I am paying well over the odds for drugs.
 
All you vet bashers please remember that your vets is a business not a charity. We have to make money to exist. We are not the NHS.

X ray machines/ultrasound machines/surgical equipment/vets cars etc etc do not fall out of the sky and conveniently happen to land in our car park, they have to be bought or leased and maintained in order for us to provide you with a service. We have to pay corporation tax, national insurance, business rates and insurance. And provide 24hr emergency cover.

Try ringing your internet pharmacy at 2am, I will almost guarantee you no one will answer the phone, but your vet practice will.
 
Ooh that was a tad uncalled for, thing is vets do well for themselves...I think they have become to greedy..my vet drives an aston martin and yes we his clients are paying for it, I'm sure like any other businesses you have overheads don't we all

Vets practices make to much profit I think that's what practices need to remember..petplan,NFU have been good to vets

Things will change it will be rough in the uk next year no doubt about it
 
Pharmacies cannot afford to give drugs awAy as they also have nhs contracts the nhs contracts pay absolutely minimum so pharmacys too have to make money. Drugs from pharmacys however are usually for humans so mass produced and so cheaper.
Drugs from online sources including all the veterinary products are bulk bought but these companies also have a lot smaller overheads so can still make decent money discounting.
Everyone has to make a profit to survive!
 
My vets charge £211 Inc vat for 160 Prascend, and I can get it for £137 Inc vat online.
They were more than happy to write a presription fir £13.00, however it's not repeatable.
When I collected it, the junior vet admitted she also gets hers online as they can't source as cheaply.
My pony is moving to blood testing every 12 months as of March/April next year
 
That is scarily high millimoo. I paid £142 from my vets earlier this month, previously I had bought online as vets couldn't be competitive pricewise. Mine was having bloods every 12 months but having them more recently at the moment as she has had a few lami flare ups.:(
 
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