Vet Prescription Prices

[ForestRiverTeac]

My Lab recently had to have eye surgery and had it done at an opthamology clinic. I expected the surgery to be expensive but what I didn't expect was the incredible price for very small (0.5 ml) bottles of eye drops. One cost $99! I had to refill the $99 bottle so I called Target. The same bottle cost me $32. Another bottle at the vet was $47 and Target's price was $17.

I have to take Jed in for a re-check this Friday and I'm wondering if it's worth it to tell the vet about the incredible price difference. I understand that vets don't do the same kind of high-volume business that a big chain like Target does, but being able to get scripts filled for a third of the cost of the vet's price is staggering.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but I wish I'd been told that I could get his prescriptions filled somewhere else at greatly reduced prices. When you're in the throes of dealing with sudden surgery those kinds of issues just don't come to mind. I'll know better in the future.

[Pawz4me]

dturm wrote:
Which states require a vet to write a prescription w/o charge???

The states are about evenly split between those that require a script when requested and those that say a vet "should" write one when requested.

I got the above information starting with this page and following various links. I didn't take it so far as to find out which states do or don't allow charging for prescriptions, and unfortunately I don't remember which link I clicked on that said some states don't allow a separate charge for prescribing. My vet doesn't charge me for prescriptions, so the matter is only vaguely interesting to me and I didn't pursue it too far. 😉

There is a cost and a liability involved in writing a prescription. Record keeping, actually writing the script, explaining dose, precautions and possible side effects are involved whether we sell the medication or physically write the script. The potential for litigation due to adverse reactions is there regardless of someone else filling the script. There are "always" interactions (either by phone or fax) with the pharmacist/online pharmacy verifying or checking the script, Often times local pharmacists not familiar with animals, their medication and their doses add a level of complication in getting scripts filled properly.

All pretty much true of doctors who prescribe medications for humans, too. And they don't have a separate charge for prescribing. I'm old enough to remember when almost all vets around here wrote prescriptions in lieu of stocking their own medications to dispense. It never seemed to be a big deal. But maybe the human pharmacies were more used to dealing with pet prescriptions back then?

If there are states that require the script at no cost, I suspect the built in cost has been transferred to the exam/office call fees.

No doubt. Just as the "charge" for a human doctor to write a prescription is built into the basic office visit/examination fee.

[dturm]

Which states require a vet to write a prescription w/o charge???

The states are about evenly split between those that require a script when requested and those that say a vet "should" write one when requested.

There is a cost and a liability involved in writing a prescription. Record keeping, actually writing the script, explaining dose, precautions and possible side effects are involved whether we sell the medication or physically write the script. The potential for litigation due to adverse reactions is there regardless of someone else filling the script. There are "always" interactions (either by phone or fax) with the pharmacist/online pharmacy verifying or checking the script, Often times local pharmacists not familiar with animals, their medication and their doses add a level of complication in getting scripts filled properly.

If there are states that require the script at no cost, I suspect the built in cost has been transferred to the exam/office call fees.

Doug, DVM

[Dashonthedash]

I know my vet has to buy in limited supplies from his supplier, because there is a limited market for any particular prescription medication, and there are many different medications that can be prescribed. Sometimes, he has to order on request and at short notice and, as Doug mentioned, drug prices can be volatile. I think pretty highly of my vet, and I know there are costs involved in owning a dog, so I don't normally deny him the higher prices on prescription medication. The one exception I make is heartworm preventative, which he is willing to give me a prescription for, and I only deal with accredited online pharmacies. In fact, he used to match the price, but he no longer stocks the brand we use.

[Pawz4me]

The American Veterinary Medical Association's Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics says that vets should write prescriptions when requested to do so by a client.

Veterinarians should honor a clients request for a prescription in lieu of dispensing.

Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics of the AVMA

In addition, some state laws require vets to write a prescription w/o charge when requested.

In other words, this isn't something that should be left up to individual vets to decide. Given what their ethics statement says, I would not stay with a vet who refused to write a prescription if I requested it, or who tried to charge me for writing a prescription.

(This, of course, pertains only to vets in the U.S. Canadian law and veterinary association ethics may be different.)

[xteacher]

My vet won't write a prescription, but says that they will match another provider's price, with proof.

[nabi]

rockhillmanor wrote:



You can always ask your vet to write a prescription.

our Vet office charges $50 to write a script but will fax a script to a specific pharmacy...the charge is d/t them worrying about people ordering meds that are outdated etc from some of the online pharmacys.

[rockhillmanor]

There is an extreme shortage of veterinary drugs. Large and small animal.

NO vet is going to simply charge you double because they feel like it.:R It depends on how much he buys, availability, etc etc. just like any other business.

You can always ask your vet to write a prescription.
My vet always looks at what it would cost for me to buy it from his clinic or at the local pharmacy. My dogs heart drugs where less expensive to buy from the pharmacy so he wrote me a prescription.

Everything you wanted to know about human and pet drug shortages! :B
http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/safetyhealth/productsafetyinformation/ucm248095.htm

[Campfire_Time]

Interesting. We have to give one of our cats something for allergies. The vet's office sells it very cheap but last year they couldn't get it so they sent us to a vet pharmacy. Wow! It was over 6 times higher there. $38 for 30 pills, $6 at the vets office when they have it. Fortunately the vets office was able to get it again in a short time.

[raindove]

dturm wrote:
Eye medications are really a sore subject with me right now.

Just be aware that your vet is probably not ripping you off in this instance, it is just a really volatile, unpredictable market.

Doug, DVM

That's just it. The office manager at my vet's practice, used to be a vet tech. She does all the ordering of meds. I know she spends a lot of time, checking pricing and all, to keep things stocked. She does her best to get the lowest price, but as Doug said, sometimes you are lucky to get what you need at any price. As I said before, there's a lot of turmoil going on in the industry for some time now. Clients see the huge increases and think the vet is gouging them, but that is not necessarily the case.

Knowing all the dog ppl I do, I often hear it from the client's end. I always try to explain it to them, as the vast majority think they are getting raked over the coals.

It's frustrating all around.

[dturm]

Eye medications are really a sore subject with me right now. There are repeated shortages/backorders and prices have skyrocketed over the last two years. Triple antibiotic ophthalmic ointments and drops that used to cost me $3-4 are now 15-20 if you can get them. Very often we have to get the brand name meds that are really $$$.

We will mostly write scripts for ophthalmics, but just last week had a client quoted a price of $99 at a pharmacy (don't remember which) but they opted to wait for a day to see if our supply came in.

Some pharmacies have purchasing power and stocks of medications that help mitigate the fluctuations. Then also they sell at a loss to get you in to their store to buy what ever else you might pick up.

Just be aware that your vet is probably not ripping you off in this instance, it is just a really volatile, unpredictable market.

Doug, DVM

[Jack_Diane_Free]

I would expect the Vet probably pays more that that through his/her supplier than Target or other big retailers sells it for just based on volume. Also shelf life at the Vet may be a problem (low volume) where probably not with big box.

[raindove]

In the past few years, there's been a lot of upheaval in the vet meds industry... Places going out of business or being bought out by another.

Prices have skyrocketed and it's not the vet's fault.

You do have to shop around. When this trend first started, my old boy needed a glaucoma med that went from less than $20 to over $200. I shopped around and found a small pharmacy that had a bottle from before the price skyrocketed. Luckily that last bottle lasted him the rest of his life.

But you do have to call around - there is a huge difference in prescrip med prices, be it human or animal.

I find Costco pharmacy has good prices, and we recently got a prescription for our dog at Sam's club very reasonable compared to other pharmacies. You do not need a membership to go to the pharmacy at Sam's Club or Costco. Also Walmart has a list of $4 prescriptions. And, at CVS, they asked us if we had AAA - apparently some drugs are on a list that you can get a discount on with your AAA card. I never knew that. Unfortunately our dog's med wasn't on the list, but it's good to keep in mind.

I would mention the price difference to the vet and see if he is willing to give you a prescription to get it elsewhere.

[I_am_still_wayn]

Any caring vet should not be opposed to your obtaining medications elsewhere cheaper. I think the vet should be more concerned that the right at home care is administered. Of course, any vet practice has to make money. Stocking and dispensing medications is expensive and a mass marketer obviously could do it cheaper than a small practice. I suspect most pet owners appreciate the convenience of obtaining all medications and instructions at one stop.

In my home state, heart worm preventative is now available from the mass marketer pharmacies as well as flea preventative. They are discovering a profit center in pet medications and are attempting to seize that market from veterinarian practices. If this catches on, veterinarians will have to raise prices for their professional services to compensate for this loss of income.

My Golden Retriever takes two allergy medications daily, and the university vet school where I take her offered the pills at some very expensive rate (a price I don't remember) but offered that I can buy them in bulk without a prescription from a pharmacy. I now buy 100 tablets for $8.00!