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Where To Buy Medications


Guest lavendergirl
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Guest lavendergirl

Just wondering if it is necessary to buy prescription medications from the vet. There seems to be a considerable mark up on the price through vets. Is it acceptable to ask for a prescription instead - do any vets do this?

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I will also be very interested in finding this information out - we spend a bomb on vet meds for our GS who has hip dysplasia. He is on human meds (mobic and tramadol) which would be much cheaper on prescription.

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Guest lavendergirl

Thanks. I understand that vets need to make money but there seems to be over a 50% mark-up in some instances.

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Some vets will write scripts so you can buy from the chemist. Realise though that many human meds are subsidised by the Govt. You will have to pay the full price if it is for a pet - hence why it may seem more expensive.

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My cat is on a human heart med, so my vet writes me a prescription (because that's what I aksed for) and charges $10 for writing the script. Even with a $10 fee I'm paying about $16 for 4 months of meds as compared to $30 for 2 months.

Often you just need to ask as they may not offer.

Although the eye vet that Emma saw refused to give her the dog version of her eye meds (which were identical to the human version just with a different label) as they were nearly triple the price and she objectd to the pharaceutical company doing that when it was an identical product!!

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Guest lavendergirl

I am referring more to the animal only meds rather than those that have human equivalents. If a product is available online - with a prescription - at say $45 I think it is hard to justify the vet charging me nearly $70 as presumably they are getting it at the cheaper price. Thats why I am wondering if vets would normally give a script at consultation if requested rather than expect to sell the product themselves? Just wondering what others have experienced.

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Available from where? In the US they often have a system of things available online via prescription.

Not sure you can actually bring those things into Aust though due to our govt regs, import laws etc etc.

Can you name a specific medication you are looking for?

Edited by espinay2
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Many threads on this already.

I always ask if there us a suitable equivalent ( there is not always) and ask for a script. I pay $15 for repeat scripts without a consult and my chemist gives me human prices.

I am

In Sydney CBD. From earlier threads it seems there may be state/vet/pharmacist variations. Cant hurt to ask.

Currently getting oroxyn, metacam and prozac.

Meea

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Guest lavendergirl

I was looking at thevetpharmacy.com.au website which is Australian - sells worming/flea products etc and noticed they sell prescription medications. I checked on one I have from the vet at over $65 that they sell for $39. Just wondering if I can get it cheaper in future if I ask for a script but didn't know if it was common to ask for one.

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This is from the vet pharmacy website

Ordering Prescription Medicines

Ordering prescription medicines is a little harder than ordering over the counter products because we are required by law to receive an original copy of the prescription before we can dispense a Schedule 4 (prescription only) medicine. We are sure that you will find the small amount of extra effort required on your behalf will be rewarded by our cheap prices and excellent service.

The steps required to obtain a prescription medicine for your pet are as follows:

1. To make it easier for your vet, take a copy (or several copies) of our prescription request to your next visit, or alternatively ask your vet to write a prescription the next time they would like to dispense a medicine.

2. Once you have the prescription, you can find the medicine listed in our inventory and follow the checkout process as listed above. If you have any doubts about which item to add to your cart, or can't find the item in our inventory, give us a call or send us an email and we can help you out.

3. After you have paid for the order using PayPal, you will need to send us the prescription. Please mail the original copy of the prescription to:

The Veterinary Pharmacy

P.O. Box 322

Ryde NSW 1680

4. May you please send us an email confirming that you have posted the prescription and provide us with a phone number to contact you if we have any questions.

Once we have received the prescription, we will dispense the order the same day as the prescription was received.

To speed up the ordering process for repeat clients only, you may wish to send an electronic copy of the prescription via fax or email. Once we have an electronic copy of the prescription, we are happy to ship the order to you in good faith, but we MUST STILL receive the ORIGINAL PRESCRIPTION by MAIL. We will include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your order that you can mail the original prescription back to us in.

As for people complaining about vets mark ups, without making money they cannot exist. It's not cheap running a vet clinic I dont know why everyone expects everything for almost free these days

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Be aware that if you order the human equivalent from your local chemist and it is not registered for use in animals, if you want to make an adverse reaction complaint you have no where to go, and not a leg to stand on legally.

Every time you choose to give a medication not registered/licenced for use by the APVMA it's at your own risk.

There's not many businesses that run with such tight margins in regards to overheads these days. If Veterinary pharmacies start popping up it will eventually change the way consulting fees are structured.

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Guest lavendergirl

This is from the vet pharmacy website

Ordering Prescription Medicines

Ordering prescription medicines is a little harder than ordering over the counter products because we are required by law to receive an original copy of the prescription before we can dispense a Schedule 4 (prescription only) medicine. We are sure that you will find the small amount of extra effort required on your behalf will be rewarded by our cheap prices and excellent service.

The steps required to obtain a prescription medicine for your pet are as follows:

1. To make it easier for your vet, take a copy (or several copies) of our prescription request to your next visit, or alternatively ask your vet to write a prescription the next time they would like to dispense a medicine.

2. Once you have the prescription, you can find the medicine listed in our inventory and follow the checkout process as listed above. If you have any doubts about which item to add to your cart, or can't find the item in our inventory, give us a call or send us an email and we can help you out.

3. After you have paid for the order using PayPal, you will need to send us the prescription. Please mail the original copy of the prescription to:

The Veterinary Pharmacy

P.O. Box 322

Ryde NSW 1680

4. May you please send us an email confirming that you have posted the prescription and provide us with a phone number to contact you if we have any questions.

Once we have received the prescription, we will dispense the order the same day as the prescription was received.

To speed up the ordering process for repeat clients only, you may wish to send an electronic copy of the prescription via fax or email. Once we have an electronic copy of the prescription, we are happy to ship the order to you in good faith, but we MUST STILL receive the ORIGINAL PRESCRIPTION by MAIL. We will include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your order that you can mail the original prescription back to us in.

As for people complaining about vets mark ups, without making money they cannot exist. It's not cheap running a vet clinic I dont know why everyone expects everything for almost free these days

I don't think anyone is expecting medication for free - some mark up is certainly acceptable but I don't think paying double what it costs the vet as well as the consultation fee etc. is reasonable. Everyone is on a budget these days and naturally want to save where they can.

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I don't think anyone is expecting medication for free - some mark up is certainly acceptable but I don't think paying double what it costs the vet as well as the consultation fee etc. is reasonable. Everyone is on a budget these days and naturally want to save where they can.

It's a very common statement from a member of the public who doesn't understand the actual costs of running a GP practice; full surgical theatre; orthopaedic theatre; hospital ward; infectious disease ward; radiology dept (xray + ultrasound in most cases); pathology lab; pharmacy; pay GP's who are also full surgeons that are experienced in more than one species; pay fully qualified support staff (and quite often foot the bill for their TAFE fees).

Then there is the most exhorbitant insurance and workcover premiums for what is an extremely risky business (not just nasty dogs and cats but chemical handling, radiation and anaesthetic gas exposure).

I beat my drum about this often on this forum, but those smaller practices, where there are great Vets who provide a personalised service and are happy to go the extra mile for you - might go the wall in future because they were already running the wire on profit margins.

Then people will be screaming on here about how their favourite Vet has closed up shop and they have to see a super clinic plus take out insurance because consult fees have doubled in price...whaddya do..??

ETA: We are so very lucky in this country with subsidised human healthcare. If you're ever in a private hospital ask them what a knee reco costs at full price. Your own medications are subsidised by the pharmaceutical benefits scheme. Most people would have no idea the full price of the medications they swallow every day.

Edited by Staff'n'Toller
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The other thing to keep in mind is that vet clinics do not pay the same amount of money to buy a drug that your chemist do. Vet clinics may buy and keep in stock maybe 2 or 3 packets of a certain drug, whereas a chemist probably buys 100 or more at a time. Like with most things, buying in bulk results in a cheaper price for the purchaser.

Some chemists (especially online ones) can sell you a drug for cheaper than what the vet can buy it in the first place.

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