Vets keep upping prices

MUMZ2BEE

I have a 14 year old cat who is a diabetic and has been for 6 years.

I recently moved house and had to change his medication to a vets that was nearer to home.

When I went to this new vets in December the cost of a small bottle of 2.5mil caninsulin insulin was around £7.

It then went up to around £9.

Today I went a picked up the same bottle an was shocked.

I was charged £12, which included the dispensing fee.

I complained and said I wasn't happy but I still had to purchase it.

Is there anything I can do because its three times in 6 months that his medication has increased.

I've rung around other vets, but I cannot get the insulin any cheaper.

I really cannot understand how they can justify increasing prices 3 times in 6 months!!

I cannot get any help with the pdsa because I dont receive housing benefit, so I now dont know what the hell I am supposed to do if they keep upping his medication!!

I am on benefit and on a budget.

Hintza

MUMZ2BEE wrote: »

I've rung around other vets, but I cannot get the insulin any cheaper.

That sentence tells you all you need to know, either they were too cheap or the price to all the vets has risen. You are still buying it for the cheapest price available locally.

You can buy it cheaper online so might be worth asking how much they will charge for a prescription.

shaun_from_Africa

As Hintza states, ask your vet for a prescription and then use this to buy the insulin elsewhere. Vets can give repeat prescriptions that last up to siz months.
They are allowed to charge for doing this (my vet charges £8).

To give you an idea of the savings can be made. (this is the online place I use but there are plenty of others).

http://www.petdrugsonline.co.uk/p-3611-caninsulin-cartridges-40iuml.aspx

10, 2.7ml cartridges of Caninsulin for £43 so at £4.30 a bottle it's considerably cheaper than your vet.

rustyboy21

Take the bottle into your local chemist, they should be able to get you a price of it through their drug price list. You can then compare it to the vets.


You would then need to get a prescription from the vet , in order to buy elsewhere. They may charge you for this prescription. You then have to factor that into buying it elsewhere.


If all the local vets sell at the same price, it seems ( to me ) that the drug co have implemented the pricing. This can be on a lot of factors, patent costs, distribution network costs, using different types of insulin ( this happened a few years ago with a human insulin, the stocks of the previous one deteriorated, so they had to change all the patients on it to another type nationwide)


It is not always down to the vet ripping you off.

MUMZ2BEE

Thanks for the replies.

I will certainly ask the vet how much my perscription will cost me.

I've seen online I can certainly get is a lot cheaper; one site in particular said it was £4.99!!

I know it would be sent same day in a cooling bag so obviously I would need to stay in for it to be delivered.

I am not saying my vet is ripping me off I am concerned as its 3 times in 6 months the price has gone up and its a cause for concern how they can justify this!!

Hintza

The thing is they don't need to justify it.

Because it is refrigerated I suspect you have not added P+P but what about buying a 10 pack?

NeverInDebt

Would this help

http://www.animeddirect.co.uk/search/all/caninsulin%20/relevance

MUMZ2BEE

NeverInDebt wrote: »

Would this help

http://www.animeddirect.co.uk/search/all/caninsulin%20/relevance

Thats an heck of a lot cheaper then my vets!!

I would just need to get the perscription for it!!

NeverInDebt

Yes you need a prescription I just tried when I logged into my account with them and just tried to order. You can fax, or send it via email

Vet's prescription required *
It is a legal requirement that a prescription is provided for this product from your Vet.

MUMZ2BEE

I'm going to phone the vet today and ask them how much is the perscription for.

I just cant see how they can justify charging £12 for a bottle of insulin when you can get it so much cheaper online!!

What a total rip off!!

MUMZ2BEE

Vet said his perscription would cost £13.30 for six months!!