Advocate for cats

Mallotum_X

Is this only available online with a prescription?

Its much cheaper online than at the vets but the places i have seen all need a prescription sending to them. Is it easier to just get it from the vets or are there any places that will supply direct without worrying about going to the vet first?

hotcookie101

It is a prescription only medicine (POM) so if you find somewhere that sells it to you without one, then they are breaking the law, and quite likely you would not be getting genuine advocate.
Get a script from your vet (but you will have to pay) or buy it from them.

Mallotum_X

hotcookie101 wrote: »

It is a prescription only medicine (POM) so if you find somewhere that sells it to you without one, then they are breaking the law, and quite likely you would not be getting genuine advocate.
Get a script from your vet (but you will have to pay) or buy it from them.

Thanks, easier to go via the vets then.

the_pink_panther_2

Annoyingly, you choose whether to pay more for advocate buying it from the vet, or you buy it online but then you have to pay the vet for the prescription to enable to get it. Either way your vet makes money on you buying it whether or not you get it directly from them. I think some vets don't charge for prescriptions but unfortunately mine does

gettingready

My vet charges £10 for prescription, depends what you need to buy - most of the time things are still MUCH chreaper to get online even if one pays for the prescription to be able to get the meas online

the_pink_panther_2

Not really sure why vets charge such fees for prescriptions; if they're charging £10 per prescription, it probably takes say 1 min to write out; that would mean a fee amounting to approx £600 per hour for prescription writing; just seems a bit unreasonably steep given that it's for medication.

JodyBPM

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but I've just been to the vet to get Advocate for my two cats, and they charged me £50 for 6 vials (3 months supply). I asked them about getting a prescription, and they said they would ONLY give me a prescription for 3 vials per cat, and they would charge me £12 for EACH prescription, and each cat MUST have its own prescription, so effectively £24 in prescription charges for max of 6 vials (3 months supply per cat for 2 cats). I feel they are being deliberately difficult with their prescription charges, to force me to buy direct from them at their inflated prices. Does anyone else agree? And is there anyone that I can complaint to? I was under the impression that vets had an obligation to keep their prescription charges reasonable...

paddypaws101

I am afraid to say that all sounds pretty standard, my vets certainly have the same policy except they charge £15 for the prescription! Advocate IS the best treatment available as of course it also covers worms and earmites, but Advantage is also pretty good just for flea prevention...and that is available without a prescription.
Personally, I try not to overuse flea treatments anyway, so would go for the Advocate if I felt it was needed, but only use it as needed and get extra back up by using a good household spray such as Indorex.

Fire_Fox

the_pink_panther wrote: »

Not really sure why vets charge such fees for prescriptions; if they're charging £10 per prescription, it probably takes say 1 min to write out; that would mean a fee amounting to approx £600 per hour for prescription writing; just seems a bit unreasonably steep given that it's for medication.

Actually by law they would need to carefully check each pet's medical notes, the vet should never just bang out a prescription or it makes a mockery of the entire prescription only drug system. They also have overheads - the receptionist who took your call, telephone line, rent or mortgage on the building, the computers, electricity, VAT and so on. These costs need to divided between every service they provide or it's no longer a viable business.

JodyBPM wrote: »

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but I've just been to the vet to get Advocate for my two cats, and they charged me £50 for 6 vials (3 months supply). I asked them about getting a prescription, and they said they would ONLY give me a prescription for 3 vials per cat, and they would charge me £12 for EACH prescription, and each cat MUST have its own prescription, so effectively £24 in prescription charges for max of 6 vials (3 months supply per cat for 2 cats). I feel they are being deliberately difficult with their prescription charges, to force me to buy direct from them at their inflated prices. Does anyone else agree? And is there anyone that I can complaint to? I was under the impression that vets had an obligation to keep their prescription charges reasonable...

One prescription per patient is the law for any prescription only drug, human or veterinary. Why three months supply I don't know but perhaps to keep to the one prescription per patient rule, have you asked why? Have you rung around other vets to compare charges?

JodyBPM

The bit I can't understand is why only a three vial prescription. The vet has actually recommended that we use it every 3 weeks due to a massive flea infestation, so that's only 9 weeks supply. Why they can't offer a 6 monthly or annual prescription I don't know? After all its flea treatment - I could understand if it was to treat a condition that needed regular monitoring, but I can't see any vet recommending that we stop flea treatment after 9 weeks...

Sorry x-posted with above. I agree that each cat should have a prescription, and that there should be a charge to cover overheads (but £12 for scribbling "Advocate" on a piece of paper seems fairly high), but its the 3 month timeframe I'm grumbling about. I can't think of any reason for it apart from to make it no cheaper to buy online...

Fire_Fox

JodyBPM wrote: »

The bit I can't understand is why only a three vial prescription. The vet has actually recommended that we use it every 3 weeks due to a massive flea infestation, so that's only 9 weeks supply. Why they can't offer a 6 monthly or annual prescription I don't know? After all its flea treatment - I could understand if it was to treat a condition that needed regular monitoring, but I can't see any vet recommending that we stop flea treatment after 9 weeks...

Have you asked the vet why?? Just because you don't understand doesn't mean you should immediately decide to complain to their professional body, TBH if you think that your vet will put profit above your pets' safety and comfort you need a new vet. As stated it *might* be down to ensuring people are not sharing prescription drugs or ensuring the pet is health checked regularly - for example weight changes affect the correct dose, doubly important if you will be dosing every three weeks - which is ethical practice.

If you have a major flea infestation get the professionals in to fumigate the house - reputable ones offer a guarantee so you will only have to pay once (I once had a house treated three times). You may well find this is cheaper and healthier for all concerned than extra doses of flea treatment and spraying the house yourself repeatedly.