Veterinary prescription charges

simontheiceman

orlao wrote: »

Not being picky but I would expect my vets to deal with a tragic event like losing a pet whatever day/time it was as part of the service they provide.......no matter where I bought my flea treatments/wormers/prescription meds To do otherwise would, IMHO be unprofessional.

I agree with MrsE that I prefer to pay a "true" cost of consultation rather than have med sales subsidising the consultation fee as I can see many vet practices struggling to survive if customers decide to go online to purchase meds and as consumers it is in our interests to have a healthy competitive industry to allow us to choose our providers!

If (and its not a nice if), a patient dies over the weekend or during an evening, I will often agree to accept that patient without charge (apart from disposal). I would, however, charge call-out fees for this kind of work, if I felt I was losing other sales to online retailers. I don't at the moment because I haven't lost a single sale yet. I'm proud of the fact that I still (4 years on) have not written one prescription for a stocked product.

Vets are still way behind other professionals in charging for services and I am looking forward to catching up (if that is what you all want, and it would appear so). In fact I did seriously consider moving to an all-prescription based system, leaving the client to source the drugs whilst I charged the proper fees for the service. I could then lose at least one member of staff and have no significant stock holding. The client would get their beloved interweb prices then...

orlao

simontheiceman wrote: »

If (and its not a nice if), a patient dies over the weekend or during an evening, I will often agree to accept that patient without charge (apart from disposal). I would, however, charge call-out fees for this kind of work, if I felt I was losing other sales to online retailers. I don't at the moment because I haven't lost a single sale yet. I'm proud of the fact that I still (4 years on) have not written one prescription for a stocked product.

Vets are still way behind other professionals in charging for services and I am looking forward to catching up (if that is what you all want, and it would appear so). In fact I did seriously consider moving to an all-prescription based system, leaving the client to source the drugs whilst I charged the proper fees for the service. I could then lose at least one member of staff and have no significant stock holding. The client would get their beloved interweb prices then...

Simon, I personally would no problem paying for a service whether OOH or not.....you seem to have sorted your business by effectively price matching and as a result you have satisfied clients who use your practice as a "one stop shop". However, IME many other practices don't, certainly in my area these types of practices are losing clients by the bucketload to the chain type vets, 2 of whom have moved into the area as their consultation fees are at least £10 lower just for a start. They offer exactly the same facilities ie small ops, bloodtesting, xrays etc and longer opening hours. Yes, it is difficult to see the same vet twice but for routine check overs and jabs, does that matter? I accept that my animals will be referred for anything out of the ordinary but again, that is exactly the same as at my old vets.....they were charging for a BUPA service but only supplying the equivalent of NHS GP....

My annual saving with a hyperthyroid cat on felimazole 5mg x 2 a day is huge.....

2 x consultations saving £21 (£18.50 instead of £29)
2 x blood test saving £30 (£30 instead of £45)
3 x prescription charges £35 (£5 instead of £10)I don't pay for a script if I've brought the cat in for a consultation but would have to at old vets.
Infact that would a lot bigger saving if I hadn't changed vets as they started getting funny about issuing more than a months prescription at a time and after 3 years with a cat on these meds decided that they wanted to see her and bloodtest every 3 months. The fact that I no longer have to deal with the stuck up ignorant practice manager is priceless:rotfl::rotfl:

By buying online I still save 10p a tablet (annual equiv £73) which still makes it worth paying a script charge so I do so......

This type of scenario must be routine for most vet practices but is it unfair of a client to save that kind of money without compromising their pets welfare? I don't think so....we are all MSE;) after all and would advise everyone to do so if we were talking about utilities, petrol, food etc.

Nomad25

they were charging for a BUPA service but only supplying the equivalent of NHS GP....

The fact that I no longer have to deal with the stuck up ignorant practice manager is priceless

compromising their pets welfare? I don't think so....we are all MSE

:T:T:T Orlao: Are you sure you don't live in NI? :rotfl:

This is so reminiscent of the vet practices in my area - I can only echo your sentiments [and possibly outrage at ott basic costs].

I just hope that time will come when 'they get theirs'. I think one of the problems is totally cost-driven, non veterinary greedy management who have no empathy with pets or owners [just £ bottom line].

orlao

:T:T:T Orlao: Are you sure you don't live in NI? :rotfl:


No.....but Dublin born and bred :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

moggylover

MrsE wrote: »

I never thought of that:cool:

I think fleas have developed a resistance to Frontline, like popular nit lotions (well I've read its happened with nit lotions).

Mrs E, you would need to have a large number of animals to do because once the little dropper has been opened it seems to evaporate away unless used immediately.

Works well for me with my horrible lot though:D

moggylover

Can I add my vote for "paying for what one gets"? I REALLY object to subsidising the costs of anyone elses animals from the routine stuff I need for mine as I spend more than my fair share on rescuing the results of other peoples irresponsibility in the first place.:D

I also object to paying to subsidise any operations and procedures (that I might actually choose NOT to put my own animals through) that people CHOOSE to have and the equipment necessary to offer these services.

TBF, I preferred the far more basic forms of veterinary care that I grew up with and do not like the "modern" rather humanised attitude to prolonging life for an animal despite the fact that this may involve quite a lot of pain and (to my mind at least) mental distress for said creature.

For instance, I doubt I would put any of mine through repeated ops for cancer, and would never consider chemo: I love them enough that I would prefer to cuddle them whilst they are pts and let them be in peace:o.

Just old fashioned I suppose, but I do long for the days when getting a vet to give a sensible prognosis was not like getting blood from a stone and he would have had the courage to say that the "KINDEST" option was euthanasia instead of me having to badger for information and then ask for that.

moggylover

simontheiceman wrote: »

If (and its not a nice if), a patient dies over the weekend or during an evening, I will often agree to accept that patient without charge (apart from disposal). I would, however, charge call-out fees for this kind of work, if I felt I was losing other sales to online retailers. I don't at the moment because I haven't lost a single sale yet. I'm proud of the fact that I still (4 years on) have not written one prescription for a stocked product.

Vets are still way behind other professionals in charging for services and I am looking forward to catching up (if that is what you all want, and it would appear so). In fact I did seriously consider moving to an all-prescription based system, leaving the client to source the drugs whilst I charged the proper fees for the service. I could then lose at least one member of staff and have no significant stock holding. The client would get their beloved interweb prices then...

Sounds quite sensible to me, but then you sound as if you take a reasonable attitude to charges anyway.

I really preferred to be able to walk into Boots and pick up Nuvan-Top and treat my animals though (it was much better and quicker than any of the new ones) and do not understand why there has been this change to everything being veterinary prescribed. "In the old days":rotfl: we never had to go to the vets to get all these sort of things but what you buy in the pet shops now doesn't work!!!!

I do admit to feeling that it has all been something of a stitch-up, but am willing to be persuaded otherwise:o

simontheiceman

moggylover wrote: »

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Nuvan-Top

Showing thy age!

MrsTinks

I think the changes (and not all are bad ) initially were brought about in large by people starting to sue vets like any other profession... rightly or wrongly you might say.
Then there were demands on "the latest" treatment etc being available - and customers would go elsewhere if their vet didn't have it. Personally I'd want the latest things to be avilable to my animals if they need it and if I don't like a vet... I will change it to someone I do like! Same as I would change GP, mechanic, childminder, physio etc.
Some people prefer "no frills" - others want a vet who has all the latest diagnostic equipment and treatments avialable - all you have to do is vote with your feet

DaveW007

I've just received a reply from RCVS with regard to my complaint about my vet.

My vet refuses to issue a repeat prescription to me for Felimazole so every 50 days I have to pay for another prescription. Surely it would make sense to issue a prescription to cover the time between consultations which is about 6 months. This is discrimination surely?

RCVS stated they can't see that my vet has acted inappropriately!!!! I have emailed the RCVS again stating my dissatisfaction and telling them to look into my complaint again.