Vet Medication Charges

[Crisovar]

Markup is a fact of life whenever any product is sold, You don't seem to understand that drugs and medications are no different, the markup covers freight, GST, dispensing ( labels, packets, vials etc)staff time etc surely you do not expect to get that all for free.

Nothing is hidden to deceive you. It is standard business procedure.

[Florise]

A friend recently had her dog to vet for a sore eye and was charged $50 for the 15min consultation and $56 for the eye drops.

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me

[poodle3081]

A friend recently had her dog to vet for a sore eye and was charged $50 for the 15min consultation and $56 for the eye drops.

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me

It seemed reasonable to her until she found out it was marked up 150%.

If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%.

In the example I gave the Vet could charge $20 for the consultation and $86 for the eye drops. Does this example make it any clearer as to what I mean by hidden charges?

[stormie]

A friend recently had her dog to vet for a sore eye and was charged $50 for the 15min consultation and $56 for the eye drops.

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me

It seemed reasonable to her until she found out it was marked up 150%.

If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%.

In the example I gave the Vet could charge $20 for the consultation and $86 for the eye drops. Does this example make it any clearer as to what I mean by hidden charges?

But that's not practical because there are plenty of people who have consults that don't go home with medication. And there are also plenty of people who buy medication without having a consult.

I still don't understand why you think its not right for vets to mark up their drugs. You haven't explained why you don't think this is reasonable. Forget the price of their services, I just want to know why you don't think its reasonable to mark up the cost of the products they sell.

[Florise]

If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%.

What approach? I just said the costs sound reasonable. If you have a problem paying for your dog's treatment, maybe you should get pet insurance

[poodle3081]

A friend recently had her dog to vet for a sore eye and was charged $50 for the 15min consultation and $56 for the eye drops.

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me

It seemed reasonable to her until she found out it was marked up 150%.

If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%.

In the example I gave the Vet could charge $20 for the consultation and $86 for the eye drops. Does this example make it any clearer as to what I mean by hidden charges?

But that's not practical because there are plenty of people who have consults that don't go home with medication. And there are also plenty of people who buy medication without having a consult.

I still don't understand why you think its not right for vets to mark up their drugs. You haven't explained why you don't think this is reasonable. Forget the price of their services, I just want to know why you don't think its reasonable to mark up the cost of the products they sell.

It is not the mark up that is the issue, it is the level. Everyone accepts there is a mark up to cover costs etc. I repeat, is the case I gave as an example of 150% reasonable?

[stormie]

A friend recently had her dog to vet for a sore eye and was charged $50 for the 15min consultation and $56 for the eye drops.

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me

It seemed reasonable to her until she found out it was marked up 150%.

If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%.

In the example I gave the Vet could charge $20 for the consultation and $86 for the eye drops. Does this example make it any clearer as to what I mean by hidden charges?

But that's not practical because there are plenty of people who have consults that don't go home with medication. And there are also plenty of people who buy medication without having a consult.

I still don't understand why you think its not right for vets to mark up their drugs. You haven't explained why you don't think this is reasonable. Forget the price of their services, I just want to know why you don't think its reasonable to mark up the cost of the products they sell.

It is not the mark up that is the issue, it is the level. Everyone accepts there is a mark up to cover costs etc. I repeat, is the case I gave as an example of 150% reasonable?

but unreasonable compared to what? Do you know what the mark up is on the food you buy at coles or woolworths?

[Danois]

Did you know that the average cup of coffee in a cafe costs about 20 cents to make (excluding overheads) - and people get charged around $3.50 for it.

[poodle3081]

A friend recently had her dog to vet for a sore eye and was charged $50 for the 15min consultation and $56 for the eye drops.

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me

It seemed reasonable to her until she found out it was marked up 150%.

If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%.

In the example I gave the Vet could charge $20 for the consultation and $86 for the eye drops. Does this example make it any clearer as to what I mean by hidden charges?

But that's not practical because there are plenty of people who have consults that don't go home with medication. And there are also plenty of people who buy medication without having a consult.

I still don't understand why you think its not right for vets to mark up their drugs. You haven't explained why you don't think this is reasonable. Forget the price of their services, I just want to know why you don't think its reasonable to mark up the cost of the products they sell.

It is not the mark up that is the issue, it is the level. Everyone accepts there is a mark up to cover costs etc. I repeat, is the case I gave as an example of 150% reasonable?

but unreasonable compared to what? Do you know what the mark up is on the food you buy at coles or woolworths?

You cannot compare a Vet practice to coles. Coles does not charge for a service and you know the price prior to purchasing.

It is impractical to have a Vet consultation and then balk at the price of the drugs. If you refuse the drugs because you think they are expensive do you still have to pay for the consultation? I think the answer is yes and then what; visit another vet?

[Teebs]

You cannot compare a Vet practice to coles. Coles does not charge for a service and you know the price prior to purchasing.

It is impractical to have a Vet consultation and then balk at the price of the drugs. If you refuse the drugs because you think they are expensive do you still have to pay for the consultation? I think the answer is yes and then what; visit another vet?

I know what i will be charged for a consult before i visit the vets, if i go to a new vet i ring up and ask before going in. And why wouldnt you have to pay for the consult if you dont take the drugs? Why should they see your pet for free?

[Florise]

I know what i will be charged for a consult before i visit the vets, if i go to a new vet i ring up and ask before going in. And why wouldnt you have to pay for the consult if you dont take the drugs? Why should they see your pet for free?

That's not the point she is trying to make, I think it is the unexpected cost of drugs on top of the consult fee.

Poodle3081, why not discuss this with the vet when the dog is treated to see if there are cheaper alternatives. I know I had a bitch desexed recently and she was sent home with a week's supply of Rimadyl. I thought that was a bit excessive and I was right - she only needed two doses.

[stormie]

A friend recently had her dog to vet for a sore eye and was charged $50 for the 15min consultation and $56 for the eye drops.

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me

It seemed reasonable to her until she found out it was marked up 150%.

If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%.

In the example I gave the Vet could charge $20 for the consultation and $86 for the eye drops. Does this example make it any clearer as to what I mean by hidden charges?

But that's not practical because there are plenty of people who have consults that don't go home with medication. And there are also plenty of people who buy medication without having a consult.

I still don't understand why you think its not right for vets to mark up their drugs. You haven't explained why you don't think this is reasonable. Forget the price of their services, I just want to know why you don't think its reasonable to mark up the cost of the products they sell.

It is not the mark up that is the issue, it is the level. Everyone accepts there is a mark up to cover costs etc. I repeat, is the case I gave as an example of 150% reasonable?

but unreasonable compared to what? Do you know what the mark up is on the food you buy at coles or woolworths?

You cannot compare a Vet practice to coles. Coles does not charge for a service and you know the price prior to purchasing.

It is impractical to have a Vet consultation and then balk at the price of the drugs. If you refuse the drugs because you think they are expensive do you still have to pay for the consultation? I think the answer is yes and then what; visit another vet?

but the food you buy at coles has been marked up!! That's the point i'm trying to make! Every vet will have marked up the cost of their medication to around the same price in a particular area, to cover their overheads.

Yes, you should have to still pay for the consultation, because that was the vets time, skills and knowledge you have just used. You are welcome to decline treatment though. If your dog has an infection and you are told it needs 'X' antibiotics, you are welcome to decline this. But you should still have to pay for the time it took for the vet to tell you what the problem was. You might find a vet a few suburbs over who have a cheaper dispensing fee, but gees, is it really worth it to save $5?

[Miss B]

I actually wish the vets would increase their markup... maybe then they could pay me a half-decent wage

[poodle3081]

A friend recently had her dog to vet for a sore eye and was charged $50 for the 15min consultation and $56 for the eye drops.

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me

It seemed reasonable to her until she found out it was marked up 150%.

If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%.

In the example I gave the Vet could charge $20 for the consultation and $86 for the eye drops. Does this example make it any clearer as to what I mean by hidden charges?

But that's not practical because there are plenty of people who have consults that don't go home with medication. And there are also plenty of people who buy medication without having a consult.

I still don't understand why you think its not right for vets to mark up their drugs. You haven't explained why you don't think this is reasonable. Forget the price of their services, I just want to know why you don't think its reasonable to mark up the cost of the products they sell.

It is not the mark up that is the issue, it is the level. Everyone accepts there is a mark up to cover costs etc. I repeat, is the case I gave as an example of 150% reasonable?

but unreasonable compared to what? Do you know what the mark up is on the food you buy at coles or woolworths?

You cannot compare a Vet practice to coles. Coles does not charge for a service and you know the price prior to purchasing.

It is impractical to have a Vet consultation and then balk at the price of the drugs. If you refuse the drugs because you think they are expensive do you still have to pay for the consultation? I think the answer is yes and then what; visit another vet?

but the food you buy at coles has been marked up!! That's the point i'm trying to make! Every vet will have marked up the cost of their medication to around the same price in a particular area, to cover their overheads.

Yes, you should have to still pay for the consultation, because that was the vets time, skills and knowledge you have just used. You are welcome to decline treatment though. If your dog has an infection and you are told it needs 'X' antibiotics, you are welcome to decline this. But you should still have to pay for the time it took for the vet to tell you what the problem was. You might find a vet a few suburbs over who have a cheaper dispensing fee, but gees, is it really worth it to save $5?

Personally I do not have problem paying. I have owned race horses in the past and the cost of vet fees for my dogs is minimal compared to owning these.

As stated in my earlier responses it was brought to my attention by a number of people I have dealings with. I also have knowledge of the industry and have several close friends whom are vets. One vet owns two clinics and has an annual expenditure in excess of $1million with one vet supply wholesaler. If you extrapolate those sales with a 150% mark it brings the gross profit to over one and a half million dollars.

[Crisovar]

A friend recently had her dog to vet for a sore eye and was charged $50 for the 15min consultation and $56 for the eye drops.

That sounds reasonable and average costs to me

It seemed reasonable to her until she found out it was marked up 150%.

If I was to take your approach I would charge $20 for the consultation and mark up on medication 600%.

In the example I gave the Vet could charge $20 for the consultation and $86 for the eye drops. Does this example make it any clearer as to what I mean by hidden charges?

But that's not practical because there are plenty of people who have consults that don't go home with medication. And there are also plenty of people who buy medication without having a consult.

I still don't understand why you think its not right for vets to mark up their drugs. You haven't explained why you don't think this is reasonable. Forget the price of their services, I just want to know why you don't think its reasonable to mark up the cost of the products they sell.

It is not the mark up that is the issue, it is the level. Everyone accepts there is a mark up to cover costs etc. I repeat, is the case I gave as an example of 150% reasonable?

but unreasonable compared to what? Do you know what the mark up is on the food you buy at coles or woolworths?

You cannot compare a Vet practice to coles. Coles does not charge for a service and you know the price prior to purchasing.

It is impractical to have a Vet consultation and then balk at the price of the drugs. If you refuse the drugs because you think they are expensive do you still have to pay for the consultation? I think the answer is yes and then what; visit another vet?

but the food you buy at coles has been marked up!! That's the point i'm trying to make! Every vet will have marked up the cost of their medication to around the same price in a particular area, to cover their overheads.

Yes, you should have to still pay for the consultation, because that was the vets time, skills and knowledge you have just used. You are welcome to decline treatment though. If your dog has an infection and you are told it needs 'X' antibiotics, you are welcome to decline this. But you should still have to pay for the time it took for the vet to tell you what the problem was. You might find a vet a few suburbs over who have a cheaper dispensing fee, but gees, is it really worth it to save $5?

Personally I do not have problem paying. I have owned race horses in the past and the cost of vet fees for my dogs is minimal compared to owning these.

As stated in my earlier responses it was brought to my attention by a number of people I have dealings with. I also have knowledge of the industry and have several close friends whom are vets. One vet owns two clinics and has an annual expenditure in excess of $1million with one vet supply wholesaler. If you extrapolate those sales with a 150% mark it brings the gross profit to over one and a half million dollars.

And the overheads would be???

[Staff'n'Toller]

I actually wish the vets would increase their markup... maybe then they could pay me a half-decent wage

Yah yah, and people think the food we sell is expensive , if only they knew!! Then maybe I wouldn't be a *low income earner*.

[Danois]

Personally I do not have problem paying. I have owned race horses in the past and the cost of vet fees for my dogs is minimal compared to owning these.

As stated in my earlier responses it was brought to my attention by a number of people I have dealings with. I also have knowledge of the industry and have several close friends whom are vets. One vet owns two clinics and has an annual expenditure in excess of $1million with one vet supply wholesaler. If you extrapolate those sales with a 150% mark it brings the gross profit to over one and a half million dollars.

Gross profit is a far cry from net profit. Go back to the example I gave about the cost of a cup of coffee.

Given you have several close friends who are vets then I am surprised that you are so determined to run them down in this thread and essentially accuse vets of price gouging to plump their own pockets up when surely their opinions would not be too dissimilar to those in this thread from the vet industry.

[poodle3081]

Personally I do not have problem paying. I have owned race horses in the past and the cost of vet fees for my dogs is minimal compared to owning these.

As stated in my earlier responses it was brought to my attention by a number of people I have dealings with. I also have knowledge of the industry and have several close friends whom are vets. One vet owns two clinics and has an annual expenditure in excess of $1million with one vet supply wholesaler. If you extrapolate those sales with a 150% mark it brings the gross profit to over one and a half million dollars.

Gross profit is a far cry from net profit. Go back to the example I gave about the cost of a cup of coffee.

Given you have several close friends who are vets then I am surprised that you are so determined to run them down in this thread and essentially accuse vets of price gouging to plump their own pockets up when surely their opinions would not be too dissimilar to those in this thread from the vet industry.

Gross profit is a good starting point especially when have an accountant.

The vets I know are well off and they joke about the charges. One gave an injection to horse and said that buys the back door to my new surgery. They have also stated to me that the load up the bills of customers that rub them up the wrong way.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

Personally I do not have problem paying. I have owned race horses in the past and the cost of vet fees for my dogs is minimal compared to owning these.

As stated in my earlier responses it was brought to my attention by a number of people I have dealings with. I also have knowledge of the industry and have several close friends whom are vets. One vet owns two clinics and has an annual expenditure in excess of $1million with one vet supply wholesaler. If you extrapolate those sales with a 150% mark it brings the gross profit to over one and a half million dollars.

Gross profit is a far cry from net profit. Go back to the example I gave about the cost of a cup of coffee.

Given you have several close friends who are vets then I am surprised that you are so determined to run them down in this thread and essentially accuse vets of price gouging to plump their own pockets up when surely their opinions would not be too dissimilar to those in this thread from the vet industry.

Gross profit is a good starting point especially when have an accountant.

The vets I know are well off and they joke about the charges. One gave an injection to horse and said that buys the back door to my new surgery. They have also stated to me that the load up the bills of customers that rub them up the wrong way.

then the vets you know are unehtical.

[cowanbree]

The one comment I would make is that while I have no issue with mark up it would be nice if the vet would let me know that there are cheaper alternatives for long term medication. I am not going to quibble over a tube of eye ointment but when it is costing $96 for a months supply of meds that my dog will need for life via my vet I don’t think I should have to find out from a friend that I can get the same meds from the chemist at around 1/3 the price.