Vets and prescriptions

rising_from_the_ashes

Morning all, lay, and lay this morning (as soon as I move, cats & dog get up) and thought it must be latish only to discover it was 5:10!:eek: Typical on a Saturday too! Nevermind, cats out on the prowl and dog itching for his breakfast (far too early for that!).


Anyway, question about vets writing prescriptions.

I have no problems with getting them from my vet - she'll write a prescription for 6 months supply (as they're allowed to). Once that's nearly done, I take pooch back for a check-up and get another 6 month prescription, pay my check-up and prescription charge and that's me done for another 6 months (obviously I need to go back if there's any problems).

However, DM's having problems getting a prescription from her vet - they're saying they will only write one months' supply on each prescription - meaning DM has to pay a check-up and prescription fee each month.

Whilst I would expect them to only issue medication for a short period of time when the animal is first put on the medication, her dog has been on it for several months now and is doing very well.

DM pointed out that I could get a prescription for 6 months - however, her vet wouldn't even go as far as writing a prescription for a bigger bottle of Metacam (180ml) which would last for 2 months.

DMs been with her vets for a long time therefore they know she'd take the dog back at the first signs of trouble so we both feel they're being a bit unreasonable.

As an idea of the difference in cost - a 180ml bottle of Metacam costs £68 from my vet - so 3 lots would cost about £220 (incl check-up).

If I get get the prescription and buy it online, this drops to around £85 so we're talking a pretty substantial amount of money!

Her vets did offer to take 25% off the cost of the medication but it's still a huge difference in price.

Is there anything she can do? (Apart from change vet - she's been with them for years and likes them & they're very good but .... it's a staggering amount of money for anyone let alone a pensioner).

Thanks

orlao

Well, I bought a 180ml Metacam for £18.50 from Animed last week, the prescription was £7.50 (with another 2 repeats) so the total cost was £21...

I don't know the answer for your DM - she is paying a very high price for staying at a vets she likes. I have two dogs on permanent metacam and while I understand the importance of monitoring them because it can cause problems when used long term, I wouldn't expect to have to bring them back monthly to get a script. At the very least, I would expect to get 3 months supply unless there was a very good reason not to.

I have to admit that I left a vets that I had used for years - one of the reasons was that they were being awkward about prescriptions and when you have 6 animals registered with them and 2 (at that time) on long term meds I thought they were being very greedy on the subject.

rising_from_the_ashes

Thanks Orlao, they just seem to be being very difficult about it.

She's stuck getting a 100ml bottle every month and the fact that they won't even give her a prescription for a 180ml bottle (2 months worth) just seems so ridiculous.

The 180ml bottles are so much cheaper - just checked Viovet where I get mine & a 100ml bottle is £14.71 with the 180ml bottle @ £17.64 so there's less than £3 for nearly double the amount. (She's currently paying £30 for a 100ml bottle even after the vet's taken 25% off).

I had a chat with her last night about it - there's a new vet opened in a town not to far away (in a rural area so has to travel to a town anyway so won't make much difference) - they're supposed to be very good and I know several people who've used them.

I think I might give them a ring next week to ask what their policy on writing prescriptions is.

Fire_Fox

Has she asked her veterinarian what their reasoning is? It may be a sensible clinical decision or it may not, there is no point in changing vets to find out you are stuck with exactly the same clinical decision. Sorry to be rude but without more information I don't think you are in a position to say it's ridiculous. You haven't even said what the condition is, Metacam can be used for many stable and unstable conditions.

rising_from_the_ashes

The metacam is for arthritis which as you'll know is going to require long term treatment - however, it's now well controlled and stable after around 7 months on the metacam (dog is back to her "normal" fun loving self so it's made a huge difference to her).

DM did ask if their was a reason why they'd not do it - ie were they worried about the dog's condition and they said that everything was fine but it was "practice policy" to do prescriptions on a monthly basis.

Fire_Fox

Which type of arthritis? Practice policy based on what?

rising_from_the_ashes

I'd need to check with DM about the type of arthritis (it's her hips that aren't good).

That's all they said - that it was "practice policy" that they would only do one month on a prescription and that it wasn't up for discussion.
(The vet did actually say to DM that there was nothing stopping her using my prescription - which really annoyed her, firstly, surely that would be illegal and, as she said, what would I then give my dog!)

orlao

TBH, I'd check out the other practise...

Being the cynic that I am ;)I'm very suspicious of any business that just says 'policy' and are not willing to explain the reasoning behind it! You'd have to assume that the policy is to stop people buying elsewhere by making it difficult/expensive to buy elsewhere.

Fire_Fox

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

I'd need to check with DM about the type of arthritis (it's her hips that aren't good).

That's all they said - that it was "practice policy" that they would only do one month on a prescription and that it wasn't up for discussion.
(The vet did actually say to DM that there was nothing stopping her using my prescription - which really annoyed her, firstly, surely that would be illegal and, as she said, what would I then give my dog!)

There is a difference between debate and explanation. I am not expecting them to change practice policy but, if it were me, I would want to know whether the practice policy was a clinical decision or a business one. Basically are these check-ups key to the welfare of the cat or trumped up to boost profits? Many cats find visits to the vet highly stressful, and stress is proven to have a negative effect on health ... It's the need for a regular check up that is the issue here, the monthly prescriptions are an offshoot of that. If the check ups are not of clinical benefit I would run the situation by the RCVS.

gettingready

Oh, how terrible really......

Zara was on Metacam, for about 3 weeks - made no difference to her whatsoever so I stopped it. Glad it works for your DM's dog.

I give Zara 3 tablets (1000mg each) of Ester C every day, she has a bioflow collar and gets pedigree joint plus thingy every day - last time I took her to the vet we were waiting long time and she fell asleep in the waiting room. Vet came out looked at her and said "Poor thing, are her legs that bad? Shall I help you to get her in?" to which she practically jumped out with tail wagging and followed him to the room...

Her X-rays (back legs) very VERY bad (feb/march), since then she lost 2.5 kg weight (diet works) and with Ester C and bioflow collar she looks/feels/acts much better.

Sorry, that was off topic...

What I was going to ask, your DM's dog is not insured? Zara'smetacam was covered by the insurance.. but as it did nto work - I stopped it.

Personally, I would really look at hanging the vets, if they can not help a long term customer - ... I would not stick with them.

I take Zara to Goddards , very big place (24/7/365 open as it is a vet hospital) and last time when I took her for infected tick bite the total came to over 100 and I only had 80 on me and that was ok, I will just pay next time, they are ok with things like that. Mind it, got a dog and 6 cats registered with them.....

Ring around other vets.. I know people feel they should stick to one vet but.....this seem a bit silly to me from the vet's side to treat loyal customers like that. They CAN perscribe more/bigger bottles/pack of medication, there should be no need for monthly check up fee just to get a prescription for one month, this costs a fortune.....

rising_from_the_ashes

orlao wrote: »

Being the cynic that I am ;)I'm very suspicious of any business that just says 'policy' and are not willing to explain the reasoning behind it! You'd have to assume that the policy is to stop people buying elsewhere by making it difficult/expensive to buy elsewhere.

This is what I'm wondering - to have monthly check ups for "long term, stable" conditions seems a bit OTT and that's the only thing I can think of (follow up consultation charge is £17 each month + cost of the drugs = £47/month).:(

gettingready wrote: »

What I was going to ask, your DM's dog is not insured?

Unfortunately not.

I'm in a similar situation - my cats are insured but my dog isn't (wanted £50/month + £150 excess 6 years ago as I couldn't prove age or medical history). DM was the same.

I took a chance, and have been very lucky - few tummy upsets (all less than the £150 excess I'd have to pay each time) and now he's on his arthritis medication.

I'm sure one of the reasons premiums are so high is that people who do have their pets insured pay whatever price the vets charge for medication rather than shopping around to get the best deal.

While I appreciate individual practices cannot match companies who buy in huge quantities, there is surely a problem somewhere when it costs £68 to buy something from a vet which I can buy for less than £18 elsewhere - that's £50 difference!

I get exactly the same drug from my vet which costs me about £85 (incl check up & prescription fee) for 6 months, which comes to just under £15/month.

Why should DM therefore be stuck paying £47/month to get exactly the same thing - it's a huge amount over a year.