Pets & Prescriptions--Online Pet Pharmacies Can Save You Money
Super Cool Pets has recently posted on the current buzz about the rising cost of vet care. How about reining in the rising cost of prescriptions?
Many pet lovers are starting to shop online for the convenience and to save money. From Wallet Pop Animals & Money: Online pet pharmacies cut into vet mark-up:
Right now you probably just get your pet's drugs from your vet. You may be surprised to see how they are marking up the drug prices and how much you can save by going to a legitimate online pet pharmacy.
I found this out when my vet said my dog Jolly needed an iron supplement he would order. I waited days for him to get the $40 bottle in. Then I found it online for $10, no prescription needed.
Some old-fashioned vets don't have a huge mark-up on prescriptions or even prefer writing prescriptions to stocking medicines. But for many cash-strapped vets it's a big way to make money. That may seem like a conflict of interest -- and it's why people doctors can't sell prescriptions.
Just last month the vet business journal Veterinary Economics had a story "Six Tips to Rev Up Refills and Revenues." They've consistently advised vets to have a big markup on prescriptions and to charge a dispensing fee. They advise a minimum dispensing fee of about $20 and then at least doubling the actual cost of the drug. Vet consultants generally recommend that the rarer the drug, the bigger the markup.
According to Wallet Pop, the biggest online pharmacy player is 1800PetMeds
, and their favorite (and hugely popular) is:
My favorite is the largest online pet catalog in the United States, Drs. Foster & Smith Pet Licensed Pharmacy. They're becoming a major player in online pet drugs. Two Wisconsin veterinarians, Dr. Rory Foster and Dr. Marty Smith, founded the company in 1983. I talked to them and they explained that a human pharmacist dispenses drugs and follows all the rules that human pharmacies do: he accepts calls or faxes from the vet or an original prescription, but no copies or faxes from the owner.
They also offer Prescription Compounding
and will work with you and your veterinarian to find the most effective formula for your pets needs and tastes.
Compounding can allow your veterinarian to:
* Create alternative dosage forms
* Change dosages & strengths
* Combine drugs or customize formulation
* Compound discontinued drugs
* Add species-specific flavors
Here is a short list of well-known sites for some super cool deals on pet meds online:
If you have any experiences to share or suggestions, please leave a comment or send an email to news@supercoolpets.com--Super Cool Pets does not endorse any particular online site.
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Posted by Molly & Jessie at July 29, 2008 6:46 AM
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