Are Medicines from Online Pharmacies Safe?
My vet recently decided not to give out
prescriptions for online pet med services. He
claims they use “old” medications which can be
harmful. I wonder if he is more interested in
making a profit for himself off the meds than
giving a break to his patients. How can an online
supplier consciously sell old meds?
S H
Chicago, IL
My vet says that ordering from a well-known internet pharmacy is a
bad idea because you don’t know what you’re
getting. Is it really a bad source to order from,
or is the vet not wanting to lose money? Thanks so
much!!
Alison
Muscatine, IA
Veterinarians and online pharmacies have had a rocky relationship from the start.
When online pharmacies first started selling medicines, many vets were worried that their already slim profit margins (even though vet care is expensive, most of what you pay your vet ends up going to his suppliers, his landlord, his employees, utility companies, the IRS, and regulatory agencies) would be reduced by the loss of income-generating drug sales.
This concern has not panned out as expected. Well-managed veterinary hospitals do not derive much income from drug sales. In the hospitals where I have worked, medications were offered to clients more for their convenience than for our profit. And this makes sense. A veterinarian’s job is to manage the health of pets, not to sell drugs.
So why is there a lingering animosity between vets and online pharmacies?
To my knowledge, none of my patients has ever received an expired or ineffective medicine from an online pharmacy. But I have had conversations with representatives from drug manufacturing companies who assure me that this does happen. They also claim that some online pharmacies unwittingly distribute counterfeit medications that have no efficacy.
In my opinion, if you order from a reputable online pharmacy the odds of receiving expired or counterfeit medicines are low. Most of the drugs that I have seen dispensed from these pharmacies are perfectly fine.
However, I still have a bone or two to pick with many of the internet pharmacies. Working with them can be very frustrating.
For instance, one internet pharmacy habitually refuses to write instructions on the drugs it dispenses. If I send a prescription to the pharmacy and indicate that the medicine should be taken twice daily, they will dispense the medicine with instructions to “take as instructed by veterinarian”. In the best case, this wastes my time–clients call me to ask how often the medicine should be given, when I have already provided that information to the pharmacy. In the worst case, it puts my patients at risk of overdose (for instance, if the client for some reason believes the medicine should be given four times daily).
Another pharmacy routinely sends faxes to my office requesting authorization for prescriptions. I promptly fax back authorizations. The next day, I often receive faxes from the pharmacy, written in a somewhat threatening tone, stating that they have not received my authorization. This confusion on the part of the pharmacy is very annoying, and it also causes me to lose confidence in their business in general. If they can’t manage their fax system, how can I expect them to dispense drugs accurately?
To give the internet pharmacies credit, I have been experiencing these sorts of problems less often over the last year. Nonetheless, I still find working with some online pharmacies to be quite inconvenient.
You have questions. 
I work for a veterinarian that will approve online prescriptions. He does require that heartworm tests be done annually for those using these pharmacies and from time to time we reject one for this reason. One particular online service filled the owners prescription anyways…so what do they need to take our time and get approvals for if they will send the meds anyways??????
We have noticed though that about the only difference in price is the state sales tax (on products subject to taxing) which we are required to charge the client. Some clients also end up buying from us the next time because of either the inconvenience or unexpected charges so it works out in the long run. When you have a relationship with your veterinarian, nothing compares to that.
I also work in the veterinary field and would personally never recommend getting meds from online sources. The scariest thing that happened recently is when a very prominent online pharmacy (you know, the one that they conned Betty White into endorsing them) called and I told them that Pfizer advised us that they do not sell their products to any online pharmacy and they don’t know where they get the products from so we will not authorize any prescription from them. The person on the line said “Who is Pfizer?” I rest my case. Most of the time the people that call from online pharmacies are extremely rude, clueless. Some even try to use scare tactics by stating, “we’ll let your client know that you’re denying them their right to a prescription.” When our clients know the truth they are grateful that we are looking out for the welfare of their pets. We could care less about our wallets like some think!
About what Tracy said. What consumers do not realize is that drug companies, such as Pfizer, are in it for the money too. Just because Pfizer makes claims that they don’t provide medications to any given company doesn’t really mean anything.
As a nurse in the health care field, I can say with great authority that the entire health care industry is about business and financial gain. This would also apply to veterinarians. Because of this, advice is often skewed to benefit the company.
It’s best to let the consumer make an informed decision. Let them know the risks and allow them to choose (just as this article has done). If the consumer selects an online pharmacy, be sure that they understand that if any adverse effects occur, or there is no improvement, that they should contact the vet. Also providing tips on how to pick out a reputable versus sketchy online pharmacy would be ideal.
My vet does not give prescriptions for on-line pet pharmacies. He is of the opinion that the on-line company could use someone else’s prescription by simply using white-out on the dog’s name and the owner’s info, while still keeping the Vet’s info the same. This is bad for the dogs, for the vets and most likely illegal!! However, my vet is wonderful and does PRICE MATCH the on-line pharmacies!! I wuff my vet!!
We have never purchased medications online but we always buy heartworm preventive and flea preventive online. It is about half the cost of what the vets charge so we find it hard to believe that vets don’t make a profit off frontline, etc.
I don’t see a problem buying from well-known online pharmacies. Why should you buy meds from your vet? You don’t buy meds from your doctor’s office. Pharmacies and doctors are separate for humans so why shouldn’t they be separate for animals?
I personally think most vets that will not approve online prescriptions are worried about profit loss. However, requiring an annual heartworm test is perfectly reasonable.
I have been buying frontline and heartguard online for years and have never had a problem. When my vet wouldn’t approve it a few years ago, I changed vets. Now I save money, my animals are healthy, and my vet makes plenty of money off of me in other areas!
I personally do order from a popular online pharmacy that is run by vets, I’m sure you can figure out which one. I have not had any issues with them. The guarentee their heartworm, so if your pet tests positive for heartworms after the previous test was negative, they will pay for the treatment. I order their generic heartgard plus and recently they started shipping for free. The money saved is considerable compared to my vets, my sister paid $50 for 6 generic heartgard from the vet while I pay $20 for 6 of a similar generic. I will order meds from them when I do not need the meds immediately if I do need them right away I will purchase them from the vet but my vet seems to really jack up the prices. Even the emergency vet is cheaper on the meds. They will call in the prescriptions for me which is great. I always call them before ordering meds so my prescription will be there when I call to order. When you have 4 dogs you save where ever you can.
Since the inception of veterinary medicine, veterinarians have been their own pharmacists. They have been educated and trained on the use of pharmaceuticals in every species as well as mixing their own products. While veterinary medicine has board certified specialists, the vast majority of vets are their own pharmacists, surgeons, pathologists, diagnosticians, etc.. their industry is designed for the vet clinic to stand alone - for the health of the clinic and protection of the profession.
Cindy mentioned that the pharmaceutical companies are in it for the money. Everyone works to generate income. Who reading this goes to work every day for free? The vets work to cover their extremely high overhead and pay themselves somewhere in between. The truth is that animal health companies are in a symbiotic relationship with the veterinarians. What is good for the veterinarian is good for the animal health company. Now… to say that you can’t trust a company that says that they don’t sell to the internet, is incorrect. Animal health pharmaceutical companies require current state DVM licenses and DEA licenses in order to purchase their products. If someone wants the product, they must provide current licenses. End of story. The animal health companies do everything within fair trade laws to protect the integrity of the veterinarian’s pharmacy. Veterinary products show up on shelves around town and on the internet because a veterinarian somewhere bought it from the animal health company then sold it to a catalog, who then sold it to the local feed store or posted online for sale.
Veterinary products began getting diverted in a big way when a group of greedy Syrian businessmen believed that they were entitled to sell veterinary products and devised a mass faxing method to solicit product from veterinarians and a successful website to resell the product to the public. They found a fair trade loop hole and took advantage of it.
The human pharmacies took a hit with internet availability of prescriptions and the lower prices from warehouse style stores and Canadian pharmacies. State pharmacy boards noticed the severe hit that the pharmacists were enduring in their respective states and started passing laws in a BIG way to capture the veterinarian’s pharmaceutical business because they had no where else to go to maintain the health of the pharmacists’ industry - so they went in a direction that they do not have training or expertise in.
So this whole big internet mess is about money. PetMeds exists because of some greedy Syrians. Veterinarians are forced to use local pharmacies for more drugs because of laws imposed on them by state pharmacy boards to improve the pharmacists’ struggling industry. Some veterinarian’s break down and sell product to these internet solicitors for a teeny profit to the detriment of their own profession. The internet pharmacies know NOTHING about the products that they sell, they do not receive training or support from the manufacturers because they are dealing in diverted product.
Could you receive defective product that hasn’t been stored properly for the past year that it took to get from the manufacturer to the veterinarian, from the veterinarian to the diverter, the diverter to the warehouse the warehouse to your home? Yes. How often does it happen? We will never know because adverse events are not required to be tracked when the product is being used against the company’s buy/sell policies.
So all of this is about money, entrpreneurs who want a piece of the veterinarian’s business/livlihood, those whose vets will sell out for a couple of percentage points, pharmacists who are angling to redirect business to them through the judicial system and the consumer who drives the demand for online availability.
Carloline did a great job of summing it up….and Nichole, of course Veterinarians make a profit on products sold, but they rely more on the services provided. And don’t think the online companies don’t make a profit as well.
Because the online products sit around in warehouses, the online companies also have a larger inventory so they don’t have to raise prices as often…it will catch up though. The companies all went up on us close to 12% at the first of the year and most have informed us of a 13-19% increase July first. We have no option but to pass the increases on…
We also have had clients that bought online products tell us the expiration date was close….ours are all long dated because we sell our products and bring in new quicker than the warehouses do. Of course frontline has no expiration date.
Besides Heartgard and Frontline, about the only other thing our clients get online is Rimadyl which they have to reorder every 30 days instead of just coming in to get more or having the option to buy more than a months worth at a time….just some more thoughts.
I used to buy the flea products and heartworm products from my vet. But I had six dogs and it was very expensive so my loyalty had to be to my dogs not the vet. So I found a very reasonable on-line source and started buying from them. I have had no problem with their products and services. My vet doesn’t mind giving me the prescriptions for the heartworm product. You don’t need one for the flea products. I spend plenty of money there for other vet services. I have the heartworm test done yearly for all the dogs and we all live happlily ever after. I know the vet needs to make a profit and I’m sure he still does. My three older dogs have passed away and I am on disability so I have to be careful with my money. I feed them high quality food and give them good care so I feel justified in trying to find a good price on these other products. The online source also has Cosequin at a much more reasonable price for my older dogs and 3V caps for my allergy dogs.
My Newie has a throid condition & the local vet charges $45 for 90 tablets, so I order from Drs. Foster & Smith & pay $7.86 for the exact same medication.
So - how does the average person know what on-line suppliers are reputable, and which are not?
And why, can’t I buy a liquid de-flea medication in bulk - say 20ccs and give it to my dogs according to weight? Actually, I find it is cheaper to buy one frontline for extra large dogs and give it to my two medium and one small creatures using a needle and syringe to calculate dosage !!
There’s something rotten in the state of the pharmaceutical industries - and I think it smells of the lack of wisdom, and unbridaled competative fear - and g reed.
I buy Advantage from E-bay for about half the price that the local vets charge. I get my prescriptions from Costco. For a lot of information on pricing see the Canadian programme Marketplace. The whole programme is on the internet. My wonderful cats were on the show!
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/cat_got_your_wallet/
I used to order my dog’s heartworm prevention online…then he got hookworms(which humans can catch). I had no idea that the company would have covered the cost of treatment if I had bought it at the vets. The company refused to pay cause I bought it online and they don’t sell to the internet guys and can guarantee it has been stored or handled correctly.
It also turns out that my vet was cheaper in the first place. I had never researched it. I just saw the comercial and thought I’d save some money.
So I lost money on the cost and the medicine for diarrhea and dewormers.
I asked my vet when on line meds came out for a script, he said “sure, if that’s what you want, but consider this, I sell you yours and ship them free of charge for less than on line. Secondly, if a pet developes heart worm , the company will not treat the pet — I do and free of charge.” He added a few more topics which escape me at this moment, but I trust him. To this day,
I’ve priced the on line meds, and my price is still less, and, I always
get a $10 rebate from Novaritis for Heartworm Meds. Most importantly, I know his turnover, and am sure that everything I get is fresh and new.
This is an informative article, with informative comments. Personally, I don’t much care where I buy medicine for me, or my dogs, as long as it’s safe and priced competitively.
Eric nailed it when he said that a vet’s job is to manage the health of pets and not to sell drugs. In the past, I have purchased medication for my dogs online, specifically because my vet charges too much for the same thing. The thing is that I don’t mind paying a little extra so that my vet can make a small profit as a handling fee (or to keep him from losing money, at worst), But when the price approaches 50%, or more, higher then what I can buy it at most other places, I feel like I’m getting ripped off.
I think the bottom line is that vets are doing their patients a service by selling them pet medicines, and they deserve to be compensated and appreciated for it, as long as they’re not using it as an easy source for higher revenue at their customer’s expense.
If PetMeds is so bad, how come I was advised by Cats Protection to use them?
My vet does not recommend pharmaceuticals from online companies simply because you don’t’ know where they’ve been. Some companies are run out of Australia, their drugs come over on cargo ships and certainly don’t stay at the approved temperatures for the drugs to stay ok. Other ones are here in the us, and he said he drove past one and saw the warehouse (he was poking around), another large non insulated building that has no way of staying between those temps either.
I thought of ordering from an online source. One that I think highly of and already order horse stuff from. First I called the consumer line and asked if they back up all of their products (such as if they get heartworms while on their heartworm meds do they pay for treatment). They said yes they guarantee everything. Then I called the consumer line for the heartworm meds I was thinking of buying. They their company (think it was pfizer) said they do not guarantee any of their drugs being sold online. I called the online company again and spoke to someone else, specifically brought up what pfizer said. They forwarded me to another person, higher up I guess, and they told me that in fact heartworm meds were the only thing they could not guarantee.
I’m not risking the health of my pets with that important of meds from online sources. Now, stuff like flea meds or supplements where the worst case scenario is they end up with fleas or eat unnecessary powder and it does nothing, I’m ok with. But I’m not messing with heartworms.
Another problem I have with on line pharmacies is that certain drugs such as Heartworm prevention should be purchased from a licensed veterinarian. The drug companies that produce them have stated that if god forbid a patient comes down with Heartworm disease or intestinal parasites also protected by the product - if monthly all year round treatment can be demonstrated the company willl pay for treatment if and only if the product was purchased from a licensed veterinarian.
Lastly, most veterinarians will price match if that is why people tend to get from on-line. Also many will ship to clients as well if that is the reason for using the on line pharmacies.
We paid $28 for brand name thyroid meds from the vet (which I had to exchange because I noticed they had exired half-way through using them). Then I found Drs. Foster and Smith, and I paid $5 for the same brand name medication, with FREE shipping, and great customer service. I order several months of medication at a time through Drs. Foster and Smith. In fact, I believe the reason Drs. Foster and Smith is cheaper, is because they are able to sell in bulk. Being a much larger pharmacy, I’m confident that their medications are probably fresher than the vets, because their customer base is larger.
We have three dogs, two of them older, and one 18 year old cat (the other 17 year old cat recently passed away after great expense). We have had $5,000 worth of vet bills for all the animals over the past year. We cannot afford to pay high prices for prescriptions.
If you ask Merial (fFrontline, Heart Guard, etc.) they will tell you that they sell only to licensed vets and do not sell to pet stores or online pharmacies such as 1-800-petmeds. If you ask PetMeds, they will tell you they buy from Merial.. If you tell Merial and PetMeds what the other says, they deny it. It’s a vicious circle!
I had a good laugh about the vet and the pharmacy faxing back-and-forth, and each claiming they didn’t get it. I regularly have the same problem between my urologist and the pharmacy my insurance company makes me use.
Other comment: All the name-brand meds come from the same factory (probably in a remote country) and all suffer in the same warehouses and container ships. For a vet to claim HIS get better treatment may apply only to the last couple weeks before sale.
My vet HATES Pet-Meds.
So glad I stumbled across this conversation. I’ve been using PetMed for years for heartworm and frontline. Recently did so for Thyroid. Never gave it a second thought. My vet charged $74 for 30-day supply of Soloxine, while online I got a price match of $13!!! My vet did price match so I’m using them, but I never once doubted the safety of using a big name online outfit. This thread has given me a lot to consider. Vets deserve a good living, they provide a valuable service. A big name outfit doesn’t necessarily guarantee integrity. I like the idea of gathering info and making an informed decision. Thanks to all for a thought provoking conversation.
Well I also work as a vet tech and I can understand that online pharmacies are cheaper and convenient. But I also know that the manufacturers of these products will not guarantee this product if by some reason it doesn’t work. For instance if your dog gets heartworms and you by your product online then they will not take responsibilty nor pay for your dogs heartworm treatment. But if you buy it at your vets office they will because they know for sure they sold it to your vet. Some of these online products are not stored correctly or at the right room temperature. They may have been sold 3-4 times to different sellers. So basically I say you get what you pay for. Remember these are your babies and they are a blessing not a necessity. I know cost is a problem but they deserve the best care possible as any human or yourself would deserve. I hope this helps anyone with questions regarding this situation.
One person asked, how do they know if a company is reputable? I have bought most of my pet medications, including heartworm preventatives (which is a medication) online, and I have never had a problem. Here is what I generally look for:
1) Where is the company located? If it is outside of the US, you don’t know what kind of laws or quality control are governing the product, and it’s best not to take a chance.
2) Do they have detailed contact information, including a phone number and address? If they don’t provide you with that kind of information, chances are, it’s not a valid company. Double check by calling the number and make sure it is a working number.
For goodness’ sake, don’t buy from Ebay! You have no recourse. Your pet’s life is worth too much to risk it to.save a couple of bucks. Other than an email address, you have no way to contact the seller if something goes wrong.
3) Check the customer service section. What are their policies for shipping, refunds etc? A company that has taken the time to detail their policies is probably a good one. Make sure you agree with them before purchasing.
4) Ask your vet if they’ve heard anything bad about the company you’re considering. They may have some horror story. Also do a search online about the company you’re considering. You may find some good or not so good info about that company.
5) Will the company dispense a medication to you without an Rx from your vet? If the answer is yes, run away. Find another company. Any reputable online company will either request either the actual Rx or your vet’s contact info for a valid Rx. If they don’t ask for either, this company is breaking the law. If they are so unethical as to sell meds without an Rx, I wouldn’t put anything past them.
Three important things to know about online pharmacies:
1) The medications, such as heartworm preventative, have a warranty when dispensed by a veterinarian only - that warranty is voided when sold through a third party (ie, online pharmacy).
2) They are not the cheapest. They claim to be and the claim often works, but when our clients ask for a prescription to be faxed we always call to let them know that we’re actually cheaper (they’re always surprised).
3) While not technically illegal, they get their medications in unethical ways. That always raises the risk of expire/faulty medication and furthermore shouldn’t be a practice that’s encouraged.
Bottom line: Call around - check the prices of vets in your area versus online pharms. If its only a couple of bucks difference - is it really worth the risk?
My vet will allow online prescriptions but warns about the guarantees and the quality of their meds.
I value my pets too much to take the risk at buying something that may be a few doller less than from the vet clinic.
I have 6 pets, and have considered purchasing the flea medications only from online sources. I would like to believe that these types of medications would be okay - not prescriptions for other health problems. The Advantage and Revolution from the online sources save you anywhere from 5 to 12 dollars for a six month supply. I would rather purchase these from my vet since I know that if there are any issues - they will be resolved by my vet. You don’t get a guarantee from online sources.
Just another note - yes, the drugs coming from Canada and Australia are shipped via containers; however, they are shipped in reefer containers and are cooled to a constant temperature.
I have been in the veterinary field for 10 years and currently work for a non-profit wellness clinic. We do not work with on-line pharmacies but it has nothing to do with money since we are a non-profit.
The FDA issued a warning about on-line pharmacies well over a year ago. It is true-the manufacturers DO NOT SELL their products to these companies. So-where do they get it from? I can easily scan a copy of a Heartgad box on my computer and easily buy “blank” beef chews used to make Heartgard off the internet too.
This is not just a warning for animal medication but for human medications as well. For the record-heartworm prevention is a medication and if given incorrectly can cause great harm to your pet. Thats right-you can seriously injure your pet even cause death by giving certain heartworm preventitives to heartworm positive dogs. The vet I used to work for often authorized prescriptions for on-line pharmacies all the time. He signed a prescription for one dog that was diagnosed with heartworms and the prescription was for Heartgard ONLY-the on-line pharmacy rep talked the owner in to trying Sentinel. The dog had a severe anaphalactic reaction and required 7 days of intensive care and hospitalization. The owner said she would sure think twice about trying to save $5 since she spent over a $1000 saving her dog’s life.
There are also several documented cases of humans getting medications from on-line pharmacies and receiving blanks.
Betty White’s on line pharmacy can not even dispense medication in the state they are in and having pending lawsuits in several other states. They are crooks plain and simple but I suppose if your going to be cheap than your not that concerned about your pet’s health anyways.
I have used online vet services for quite a while. My vet hasn’t told me of any problems. We have always started the meds at the vet and, if we find we are going to need them long term, then we go to our online pharmacy (not the one Betty White does ads for). They do usually just put “Give as directed by your vet.” So I will look into that. Otherwise, I have never had a problem, and I have saved quite a bit of money get my old doggies meds this way.
So, I posted in this thread last night and woke up this morning to find my Inbox filled with spam from online pharmacies. Not Cool!
I’m inclined to blame it on dogster, because I opened my browser straight to this page, and closed it on finishing (something I do often to avoid spam.)
While I’m here, I’ll also note that many of the comments since my last post seem to support buying from your vet, and some of them are completely illogical. For example, why should I care if a drug company will reimburse me if my dog tests positive for heartworm, and I purchased their medicine from a vet, if I can make up that amount by purchasing heartworm medicine from an online pharmaceutical and will likely save money for the same product? Also, drug companies will sell to anybody, as long as it’s legal and profitable.
Like I said previously, if given the choice between buying between an online pharmacy and my vet, I’ll buy from my vet every time, unless my vet’s asking price is far higher then most places. One of the nice things about the internet is that it’s forced some businesses to change their business plan (i.e. be honest and fair.) This works because it gives consumers more options and businesses more competition. Just because consumers have more options, however, that doesn’t mean that they no longer have make informed decisions. Buying heartworm medicine from a safe distributor isn’t that much different then buying a fullbred puppy from a respectable breeder (i.e. one should do his or her homework.) And you can bet that if certain online pharmacies are judged to be disreputable, then a little reseach will uncover it, just like with disreputable breeders.
So, just as I always do, I’ll continue to do my research and buy from the most reputable source with the best price. Preferably this will be my vet, but that hasn’t always been the case, unfortunately.
This is the recomendation of the FDA - the US Food and Drug Administration regarding purchasing pet drugs online.
http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/petdrugsonline121407.html
I say kudos to my vet and all the others that price match whatever may be found on the on-line pharmacies! My dog has to use Pancrezyme which is VERY expensive but even though the online price is about 1/2 or more cheaper my great vet does price match, so therefore saving me over a thousand dollars each year. My little dog’s life is worth every penny that I pay for this medicine but saving this much makes it easier! My vet will not give me a script since he too wants to be sure that what my little guy gets is authentic. Thus, the price matching.
I’m starting to wonder if this isn’t all internet conspiracy hysteria.
I agree with some of the previous postings that say even vets buy their meds from companies that have shipped in from overseas in containers that may or may not be the right temperature.
And I follow the advice of Cats Protection. They know what they are doing, they have been doing it for years! And they are VERY thorough!
My vet was trying to dissuade me from buying Heart Guard on-line by telling me that Heart Guard does not sell to these on-line pharmacies and that if I buy it there, I will not get the guarantee that comes with the product. She then offers to match the pricing of on-line. Now THIS is proof that she cares and is not about the money. I advise all caring vets to follow the same practice.
I also contacted Heart Guard to find out if they sell distribute to the on-line pharmacy and they said no, but did not want to do anything about it. My question is WHY? Do they have a secret “back door” or black market that allows their product to be sold to these on-line perveyors?
Wow, this discussion has really grown! I cannot believe the prices some vets are charging for thyroid meds….I have worked in 4 different clinics/hospitals in the past 16 years and have never seen thyroid sold for the prices some listed.
Rob, I hate to bring this up seems how you are buying from your vet but your comment about not caring about the manufacture paying for a heartworm treatment is crazy…I used to do a lot of rescue and heartworm treatments can cost anywhere from $400-$800 depending on the size of the dog. Not to mention the heartworms can do some serious damage to the heart. The treatments are greatly improved and less risky to the animal being treated but even so killing 12 inch worms in your dogs heart is risky…they can throw a blood clot and die as one example.
The products sold to the licensed veterinarians are guaranteed because there is less likely to be a problem with them. Our clinic isn’t priced that much higher than most online pharmacies and in TN we have a fairly high sales tax so most of our clients stay with us.
Merial also offers a $5.00 rebate on purchasing a 12 month supply of the same size heartgard and a free dose if purchasing a six month supply of frontline. The rebate is a better deal on the small dog size but we have several clients using the large size that still take advantage of the offers. See if your vet participates in the program. We even do the paperwork for you. Our vet gets reimbursed for the free doses and we as employees get rewards as well.
As a groomer for a number of years I pushed frontline and advantage (bayer also offers the free dose with a six pack) without the rewards other than not grooming infested dogs!
don’t know what everyody else said but ordering online you will not know where the meds came from. The USA only .stands behind meds from the USA. If your meds come from Mexico they do not have any government watch dog.
As a practice manager for a small vet clinic I can assure you the internet pharmacy vs DVM issue is NOT a profit concern. The health and wellbeing of our patients is always our first concern.
The drug companies will NOT pay for heartworm treatment, parasite diagnosis and treatment if the product is not purchased directly from a licensed DVM.
Preventives (both flea/tick and heartworm) can cause serious medical complications and/or DEATH if combined with certain drugs, medical conditions, and breed predispostions. Your vet is your most trusted source of how medications and other products (including supplements) can interact with YOUR pet’s medical history. Any monies saved are not worth the risk involved when medical advice is obtained from marketing companies.
Another point to consider is keeping your pet care dollars in the local economy. The purchase of products from your vet supports continuing education for the entire staff, salaries, employee health care, and enables your vet to maintain the facility where your pet receives emergency care as well as routine wellness services. As veternary medicine continues to advance, the trained professionals and state of the art diagnostic equipment needed to offer the best care for your pet should be a primary concern for all pet owners.
Consult with your local vet and vet staff for better ways to stretch your pet care dollars. See if your vet will write a prescription for you to fill at WalMart, Publix, and other pharmacies that offer low cost generics LOCALLY.
Your vet understands YOU are an important part of your pet’s health care team and welcomes your input on how to achieve the quality of life for your pet.
They called me mad, I called them mad, and damn them, they outvoted me.–Nathaniel Lee, (1649-—May 1692), English playwright, on being committed to Bedlam
I am a veterinary technician and I would NEVER use an onlinepharmacy to order meds for my own personal dogs. They are rude and incompetent. At our clinic, we finally had to stop allowing Rxs for them to our clients because they would “forget” to write directions to the client for giving meds to their pets. This could create a potentially dangerous situation. Can you imagine seeing your doctor and going to your pharmacy and receiving your meds with no instructions as to how often you should take them? They are lazy and care nothing about people’s pets. And in some cases, you can not even be certain that you are even getting the drug they say they are giving you. I wouldn’t endanger my dogs’ lives by using them.
My vet has received many requests for prescriptions for pets he hasn’t seen in years. Some of the heartworm meds can’t be given unless the pet has no heartworms, for example, so this is a serious matter. Once the onlline pharmacy told him they would get the prescription somewhere else. So I will not do business with them. I know my vet cares about animals–their primary goal is making money!
there are those who follow the rules, however sad to say, there are those who do fraud just to earn money.