Buying prescription drugs on line - will my vet let me?

fluffpot

My cat has just been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and just about to start on Felimazole tablets. The vet is charging me £43.50 for 100 (he needs 2 a day). I've just done a quick on line search and Vet UK sells them at half this price but obviously it requires a prescription. Will the vet give it to me?

He's due back in a month to check how it's working (and I guess to see if the dosage is OK). Can I ask then?

Thanks

elsien

Should do, but you'll probably have to pay for the prescription. So you need to see how many months worth the vet is willing to put on the prescription at a time - they may not want to do too many at a time until the dose seems stable.

tankgirl1

Yes, they are obliged to let you, but may also charge you a prescription fee.

As you cat has only just been diagnosed they may not be willing to give you more than a month at a time, and will probably insist on blood tests too to see how he is responding to treatment - which is all good & in kittys best interests.

A thyroidectomy surgery may be a long term option, removing the need for drugs, but you would need to have a good chat with your vet about this, and they would want kitty to be stable on his meds before they did that.

fluffpot

Thanks for the quick replies. Yes, I was planning on sticking with the vet until we know it's all stable. My cat is getting on a bit now so not sure I would want to go down the surgery route but was just thinking about how to save a few pennies (or pounds in fact!) as its likely he'll be on the meds for life

Will check about the prescription fee and factor that in! I suppose it's a bit like buying contact lenses on line - you have to pay for the test but then you are free to chose the supplier!

Cheers

tankgirl1

No worries

If you do continue to get meds long term, ask to speak to a partner, and see if they would 'price match' the cost of a prescription plus online meds - Some vets will consider this.

Good luck - let us know how kitty gets on!

Fire_Fox

Can I suggest you ask the vet to write the drug name on the prescription and not the trade name? If there are generic alternatives - or one becomes available later down the line - your supplier will be able to sell you that. This is equivalent to buying cheap ibuprofen instead of expensive Nurofen.

tankgirl1

Hey FireFox - that is a great suggestion, but vets are tied by 'the cascade'

Vets are not allowed to prescribe generics if there is a veterinary authorised medicine.

For example - Felimazole - Thiamazole (Methimazole) - Veterinary licensed med http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Dechra_Veterinary_Products_Ltd/documents/S4410.html

I've looked on BNF, and even if I register, a link will not allow others to see - but I presume Thiamazole (Methimazole) is available generically?

Perhaps a better example would be Prednisolone.

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Animalcare_Limited/documents/S4011.html

Fire_Fox

tankgirl1 wrote: »

Hey FireFox - that is a great suggestion, but vets are tied by 'the cascade'

Vets are not allowed to prescribe generics if there is a veterinary authorised medicine.

For example - Felimazole - Thiamazole (Methimazole) - Veterinary licensed med http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Dechra_Veterinary_Products_Ltd/documents/S4410.html

I've looked on BNF, and even if I register, a link will not allow others to see - but I presume Thiamazole (Methimazole) is available generically?

Perhaps a better example would be Prednisolone.

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Animalcare_Limited/documents/S4011.html

I haven't worked in (human) pharmacy for many years so haven't a clue what is and is not available; I am registered with the BNF but it seems to think my computer is not located in the UK! Have I been kidnapped by aliens?? :eek: OK I logged in using another browser and methimazole/ thiamazole is not in the BNF, just carbimazole which is as old as the hills. My insomniac Google-fu suggests methimazole is not licensed for humans here.

Can't a vet can prescribe whatever they like, it is the dispensing that must be the veterinary authorised brand? Prescribing methimazole would not preclude VetUK from dispensing Felimazole then, if a cheaper alternative becomes authorised, VetUK can dispense that without the OP needing to know the inner workings of the veterinary world. Perhaps I am misunderstanding the veterinary system tho? I have heard reference on other forums to something akin to this, tho perhaps there were two veterinary authorised medicines and I was not paying full attention.

If that is not possible I am shocked, NHS hospitals were doing this when I trained twenty years ago, and GP practices were eventually 'encouraged' to follow suit. If you cannot prescribe using the drug name, then vets get in the habit of using one expensive brand, leaving [STRIKE]slimy toads in shiny suits[/STRIKE] drug reps rubbing their hands with glee. :rotfl: I completely understand that it might be critical to use a specific formulation in a specific animal, so dispensing must be appropriate.

snowman2_2

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Can't a vet can prescribe whatever they like, it is the dispensing that must be the veterinary authorised brand? Prescribing methimazole would not preclude VetUK from dispensing Felimazole then, if a cheaper alternative becomes authorised, VetUK can dispense that without the OP needing to know the inner workings of the veterinary world. Perhaps I am misunderstanding the veterinary system tho? I have heard reference on other forums to something akin to this, tho perhaps there were two veterinary authorised medicines and I was not paying full attention.

It is called the "cascade" and it limits what we can prescribe but that is the same if we dispense a product or it is a written prescription. To be honest, where there are alternative vet brands, the price comes down and the vet can usually be competitive. There is no direct alternative to Felimazole and an alternative, vet generic is likely to be over 10 years away due to licensing and patents. Therefore, it is pointless writing a prescription for generic Felimazole. Also, a written prescription is only going to be for a few months, so if a new cheaper drug becomes available, you are only going to miss it for a short period of time, rather than years.

What is not legal (and actually a criminal offence now) is to supply a human generic version when a vet version is available - without good reason. That is tricky but tablet size, availability problems, palatability etc would all count as a good reason to use a generic. Unfortunately, cost is not a good reason and specifically prohibited by law. It is also only the vets decision to use a human generic, a pharmacy (on-line or real) cannot substitute a human product for a vet one on any grounds.

Back to the OP, ask your vet if they will price match. We often will for long term medications if people buy in bulk - full pot etc or 3 months at a time. I can't do it for everything as some things get sold below my cost price but for a lot of things I am usually competitive or only 10% over the pharmacy cost. You are also more likely to get a price match if you use us for vaccines and routine treatments and you ask nicely. People who whine and moan are more likely to get charged full price for everything!

fluffpot

thanks again for all the replies - some of you sound like you might be in the trade which is reassuring. Great idea and I will certainly ask about the price match - I'd even pay a bit more than the match knowing that my supplier was only a bus ride away. I'm in London though and I understand prices here are much higher than elsewhere (anecdotal evidence from friends and family with pets outside London)

best
Fluff

Fire_Fox

snowman2 wrote: »

It is called the "cascade" and it limits what we can prescribe but that is the same if we dispense a product or it is a written prescription. To be honest, where there are alternative vet brands, the price comes down and the vet can usually be competitive. There is no direct alternative to Felimazole and an alternative, vet generic is likely to be over 10 years away due to licensing and patents. Therefore, it is pointless writing a prescription for generic Felimazole. Also, a written prescription is only going to be for a few months, so if a new cheaper drug becomes available, you are only going to miss it for a short period of time, rather than years.

What is not legal (and actually a criminal offence now) is to supply a human generic version when a vet version is available - without good reason. That is tricky but tablet size, availability problems, palatability etc would all count as a good reason to use a generic. Unfortunately, cost is not a good reason and specifically prohibited by law. It is also only the vets decision to use a human generic, a pharmacy (on-line or real) cannot substitute a human product for a vet one on any grounds.

Thank you, I understood the concept of the cascade, prescribing generically is not the same as using the drug name since many 'generics' now have trade names of their own! So are you saying a vet CAN prescribe using the drug name, but that the dispensing must be the veterinary authorised brand?

The reason I ask is that those few months may be small change a professional like yourself but this is Moneysavingexpert. Many on here are in debt, lost their job in the recession, on a low income or have a pet with a condition that is not insurable or are medicating fostered or rescuing animals. If doctors are anything like veterinarians it becomes habit to prescribe by trade name, which then means the client needs to remind the vet each time.