Vet prescriptions... what a rip off!!!

motherbear

My vet doesn't charge for prescriptions :j

catflea

Actually, now you say that, I'm not sure mine does either.

Incidentally, I use a "companion care" surgery. One of the vets at Pets at Home. Went there initially because they were doing a deal on cheap vaccinations and microchips but I was so impressed with them that I've continued using them. Far any away the best vet I've found in the area.

Beckyy

I got stung £9.60 for a prescription for Advocate for my dog a week or two ago. Managed to get 6 months worth though, so even with the prescription cost it saved me £50 comapred tobuying it from the vets.

Road_Hog

Rebob wrote: »

Dont forget that you can get the frontline from pets at home which for me was much cheaper than from the vet. You have to see a member of staff and have the animal weighed before they will sell it.

What a faff. I bought mine online last week, no faffing about with weighing or seeing a member of staff (I know what my dog weighs from when we're at the vets).

It's £24 at pets@home for 3 tubes of Frontline for large dogs 20 - 40 Kgs.

£16.60 online delivered.

mum26

My vets charge £7.50 per prescription, my cat has Advocate and Profender. I've just bought a 6 month supply of each for approx £28 total delivered from Animed.co.uk so about £43 overall.

My vets charges for Advocate last time I bought from them was £26.60 for 3 vials so £53.20 for 6 months supply
Profender is £15.98 for 2 vials

Total of £69.18 so a decent saving even considering the prescription costs. I'm not sure if I could ask for a years worth next time for the same cost which would give an even greater saving.

It was very straightforward to deal with the online people, just placed my order and emailed through scans of the prescriptions. Have to register your pet of course but that doesn't take long.

deltatango

My Miniature Schnauzer has a heart condition and has now been put on Vetmedin 1.25mg and seems to be working OK, she had a heart murmur previous to this, The vet charged me about £28 for the visit including a months supply, she also had in the same cost Frusecare for making her wee more to get rid of any water on the lungs I assume, the vets charge was i think reasonable, but if I have to pay this monthly it would just be a bit more than i really want to pay, as on the Internet can get them for around £13 for 60, but would still need to pay P&P and prescription charge, when I go back on the 1st October will ask if they can match the Internet charge.....

Frontline and Drontal, my two dogs have been on them for years they are 10 years and 9 years and never had worms or fleas i used to get them from the vets but were costing to much, so went to Petmeds and never had a problem.

Terry

catty_person

Hi a visit to the vet to collect a repeat prescription for my oldie cocker spaniel who has a heart murmur prompted me to read everyones posts on this. I have just started paying for vetmedin for him as insurance were paying up to now. Charge for 48 tabs (5mg) which is 6 weeks supply £72.58 which is £1.51 per tab. Cost online for 1x5mg tab 91p which is £43.68, so sorry I will now be asking what they will charge me for a prescription after 14 years of dealing with them, and is that their best price. The reason behind this is that if/when he starts to deteriorate and need more meds I am planning to be able to afford them for my best lad who has given me 12 good years of unconditional love.

snowman2_2

We would only charge £48 for the same tablets so not every vet is expensive.

MrsTinks

There are somethings I'd buy online, and a lot I won't... like meds. I'd buy flea and wormer stuff online no worries but definitely not drugs - sorry. what if the "dispensing" chemist makes a mistake?? Guess how much that internet company is likely to care if they send you something out of date or wrong for your pet...
Sorry but I love my pets a little more than that. Taking it to a human pharmacist - no problems - they are fully trained and it's a person you go and see...
As for prices - vets have a lot of overheads to cover... rent, bills, staff, unpaid bills (yep - they get a fair amount of those!) and most small vets can't bulk buy like the online warehouses. What prices they charge often reflect what they have been charged in the first place - if it's a small 1 vet practice they simply don't have the bulk buying power to drive those prices down...

Obviously for some drugs the vet has a duty of care to monitor your pet before issuing a prescription - so you might find that it's not much cheaper once the pet has had to go monthly or whatever to see them anyway - a lot of vets I know won't charge the consult fee if there is meds being prescribed that regularly, but if you just want the script and take it elsewhere then they probably will have to...

Hethmar - I've also removed your post - please do not give advice on that meds may or may not be the same for animals and humans. This would be classed as medical advice and is not allowed on the boards.

hethmar

Hethmar - I've also removed your post - please do not give advice on that meds may or may not be the same for animals and humans. This would be classed as medical advice and is not allowed on the boards.

fair enough Mrs T, but I actually said the eye drops med my dog is getting is available for humans at the pharmacist and is the same stuff exactly - it even has the same name - isnt that what the very first post is about too?

My dog has an eye irritation and one of the items was eye drops for my dog called acular which is also used for humans. I was charged £25 for a 5ml bottle, so a teaspoon full of eye drop medicine. I googled the medicine and you can buy it for just over £4 online. I spoke to a pharmacist and they confirmed that this is the same product used for humans and in animals.