Is It Normal For Vets To Charge A Prescription Fee?

[Hubcitypam]

I can see a fee if the dog is not physically there and the staff has to hunt down a doctor but not if your dog is already there for an exam and it takes the vet a minute or two to write it. Many vets rely on med sales for profits but sometimes the price difference between vets and human pharmacies for the same drug is crazy.

[tbhounds]

So do you pay your doctor for his/her time when s/he writes you a script, beyond the cost of the appointments where your medications are decided on and monitored?

Of course not--but, then again we don't submit our apointment fees to insurance companies. Believe me-human based Dr offices have it all worked into their fees.

[krissn333]

My vet's office does not have paper charts. Everything is done on the computer. It's as easy as pushing a couple of buttons.

 

Of course they also have three front desk people there at once so they have time to do all of that stuff, no matter how quick it is.

[tbhounds]

I can see a fee if the dog is not physically there and the staff has to hunt down a doctor but not if your dog is already there for an exam and it takes the vet a minute or two to write it. Many vets rely on med sales for profits but sometimes the price difference between vets and human pharmacies for the same drug is crazy.

99% of all requests are faxes from online pharmacys. Our receptionist really wants to pull her hair out at times. Is the answer to hire more staff to help fill these requests?? I'm not arguing that the client should have the ability to fill their scripts elsewhere-hell, I fill some of mine at big box pharms--just want to shed some light from "the other side". I'm not sure what answer is.

Edited March 3, 2014 by tbhounds

[krissn333]

I'd think the answer would be to tell clients "we dont fill online prescriptions."

 

If a client is in with their dog and the dog needs tramadol and cephalexin, and the client says, "I'd like to fill that at Walgreen's," there should be no argument, and no extra charge. I think that's what people are saying.

[krissn333]

I wouldn't just decide my dog needs tramadol and go on 1-800-PETMEDS and order some and have them pester my vet. Decisions on medications should be made during a conversation between a client and their vet. So whoever is ordering crap online for their dog probably shouldn't have one.

 

When I needed Panacur (a lot of it), I called and talked to my vet and said I'd like to order it online from KV Vet. She said "okay I'll put a note in your chart so when they call or fax the script request, whoever gets it will know to send it through." Just doesnt seem that tough to me to communicate with your vet's office.

[krissy]

I can understand that I'm paying for the diagnosis, but that should be part of the total treatment cost. How long does it take to write and log a prescription? It's not like I'm paying per minute here. What's next, charging for spending time answering questions? IMO, the time spent doesn't justify the charge.

 

Looks like this is a more common practice in UK and Canada. I'm gonna try to call around and see what the other vets do.

 

It seems to me that this is kind of bad for business. It drives away long time customers who would potentially pay thousands of dollars for other things.

Honestly, the amount of time I spend on the phone is sometimes quite significant. I think often people don't really think about that. We often have people who refuse to accept the technician's advice even when it was my advice... "I just spoke with the doctor and she says..." I'm not saying we'd charge for that but it is pretty significant and I often have to cut into my lunch or go home late in order to catch up on phone calls.... We don't get paid for staying late to make phone calls. After a 10 hour day I do kind of want to go home and spend time with my own family too.

 

There is a dispensing/prescription fee included in our prices for medication we dispense (again this is common place in Ontario, maybe not so in other regions) and that is the same script fee we charge if someone requests a script. We do everything the same for filling a script in house as we do to write one. The only difference is that in one instance we are counting the pills and in the other I have to write a second prescription (remember one has to go in the file). So time wise/personel wise it is about the same either way. I don't know about human doctors in the States. Here obviously we don't get charged for a script, however we do get charged for a doctor's note. I don't think it takes much for the doctor to write that note but I get that I'm paying for their time.

 

Honestly, I can say that for us what I've noticed is that the clients who don't understand this policy are usually not clients we care if we keep or not. Which might sound bad, but at our hospital we pride ourselves on always doing our best to provide a high level of medical care. That, unfortunately, costs more. The clients we have that are long term understand and appreciate that. They know we are the most expensive clinic in town and they are okay with that because of the level of care that gets them for their pet. The bottom line dollar amount is greater but what they get for that money is so much more. Clients we've had that didn't understand policies like this one have typically been price shoppers who are more interested in the bottom line price. And both parties are happier if those clients go to a lower cost clinic that is more in line with their needs. Keep in mind that this is common in our region (Ontario); I am not suggesting that you settle for substandard care because you don't like the idea of a script fee. Obviously if that is not routine in your area it seems strange.

 

ETA: I have gone to order a medication for a patient, looked at the price in shock, and then called every human pharmacy in the area to get the lowest price. I just charged the client our standard script fee and sent her to the cheapest pharmacy. Saved her over $100 even with the script fee. And that took up probably a half hour of someone's time to do all that calling around. I do go above and beyond for my clients and save them money if I can. Personally I believe our time is worth something.

Edited March 3, 2014 by krissy

[Guest AnnieAreYouOK]

ETA: I have gone to order a medication for a patient, looked at the price in shock, and then called every human pharmacy in the area to get the lowest price. I just charged the client our standard script fee and sent her to the cheapest pharmacy. Saved her over $100 even with the script fee. And that took up probably a half hour of someone's time to do all that calling around. I do go above and beyond for my clients and save them money if I can. Personally I believe our time is worth something.

 

That wasn't asked by the client though. Nobody would say "spend 30 minutes of your valuable time to call around town". I am paying for medical advice, not a personal shopping assistant. I can do that myself. If someone did explicitly ask, then sure, charge him per minute. But if the client didn't ask, I don't think people should be charged for time that they didn't agree to.

 

I've already paid for the exams and the operation and was already told exactly what drugs are needed, so the only effort left was physically writing and logging the prescription. Even at a per minute rate, I can't see how it can cost so much.

 

It seems to me that the reason is because vets have a big profit margin on drugs. Some vets don't want to lose out on the profit margin so they come up with the prescription fee to compensate for the loss of revenue. I understand that vets have to make money, but a huge prescription fee just to write a prescription seems dishonest to me. It reminds me of the telecom companies with their made up fees.

Edited March 3, 2014 by AnnieAreYouOK

[JJNg]

It seems to me that the reason is because vets have a big profit margin on drugs. Some vets don't want to lose out on the profit margin so they come up with the prescription fee to compensate for the loss of revenue. I understand that vets have to make money, but a huge prescription fee just to write a prescription seems dishonest to me.

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head on why some vets may charge a prescription fee. However, compensating for loss revenue may be essential to staying in business, not just maintaining profits. Generally speaking, profit margins of vet clinics are relatively low compared to other small businesses and human medical offices. While I would agree with you that a $20 fee per prescription seems high, your vet may have felt they had no other choice when faced with declining pharmacy sales. Would you prefer to have the price of exams or procedures doubled instead? Because as the veterinary profession changes, with shifts such as drug sales going to outside pharmacies, decrease in vaccines due to extended protocols, and basic care being offered by shelters and low-cost programs, that may be the way we're headed if vet clinics are going to stay afloat.

[krissy]

That wasn't asked by the client though. Nobody would say "spend 30 minutes of your valuable time to call around town". I am paying for medical advice, not a personal shopping assistant. I can do that myself. If someone did explicitly ask, then sure, charge him per minute. But if the client didn't ask, I don't think people should be charged for time that they didn't agree to.

 

Actually, this same client has asked us to drive 30 minutes out of town to pick up medication for her dog from another clinic because her meds were on back order. We were unable to find a way to explain that it was on back order from the company so no one could get it in. We had already called every clinic in the area and no one had any. She called her old clinic over a half hour away and they happened to still have one bottle left in stock.

 

One of our amazing technicians actually ended up driving there to get it for her at no charge. She did have flowers delivered to the clinic and this is now her favourite technician. But she is definitely a... demanding client all around.

[krissy]

It seems to me that the reason is because vets have a big profit margin on drugs. Some vets don't want to lose out on the profit margin so they come up with the prescription fee to compensate for the loss of revenue. I understand that vets have to make money, but a huge prescription fee just to write a prescription seems dishonest to me. It reminds me of the telecom companies with their made up fees.

As already noted, we don't make a ton of money and the clinic has to stay in business somehow. We are talking about a fully operating hospital. When I see American medical bills I am amazed by how cheap we do things in veterinary medicine. I was watching Judge Judy (television at its finest, lol) where a lady had gone to the ER because of a puncture wound to her hand. It was cleaned, no stitches. I assume she was given antibiotics as well. Bill was $1000. If I did that for a dog the bill would be $120 or so and 1/10 clients would be screaming at me about how I am a cruel person who doesn't care about animals.

 

It really does rub me the wrong way when people suggest that vets don't care. We work hard and have stressful jobs that don't pay as well as they probably should... precisely because we care about animals and clients. It's not like we don't understand. We own pets too. Kili ran up close to $10 grand last year. Thank goodness for pet insurance or I would have been in trouble.

 

The bottom line is that there is a clinic for everyone. If you don't like the policies at one then go somewhere else where they are more in line with your expectations. Everyone is happier that way. The client, the patient, and the clinic. It is like adopting a dog that is a bad fit or the family. No one's fault but everyone is unhappy. It is important to find the right fit in a pet and in a vet clinic.

[PatricksMom]

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head on why some vets may charge a prescription fee. However, compensating for loss revenue may be essential to staying in business, not just maintaining profits. Generally speaking, profit margins of vet clinics are relatively low compared to other small businesses and human medical offices. While I would agree with you that a $20 fee per prescription seems high, your vet may have felt they had no other choice when faced with declining pharmacy sales. Would you prefer to have the price of exams or procedures doubled instead? Because as the veterinary profession changes, with shifts such as drug sales going to outside pharmacies, decrease in vaccines due to extended protocols, and basic care being offered by shelters and low-cost programs, that may be the way we're headed if vet clinics are going to stay afloat.

I guess it depends. I seriously don't want to have to think about my total vet bills over the last 2 years and I've never had a problem paying a higher rate to have a good vet and a clinic backing them up (the ability to do the more advanced tests in house is valuable to me and I understand that runs costs up). But charging a prescription fee (which in my case with both Patrick and Murphy at $10 would have been more than the cost of the medicine itself, so more than doubling my monthly bill--I think at $10 it would have been something like $60/month in those fees alone) feels like nickle and diming. And the one vet practice I saw that did that, was a terrible practice, the lower costs overall were absolutely not worth the poor care. On the other hand, both Patrick's care at the University of Pennsylvania and Murphy's care by several board certified surgeons down here was not cheap (but totally worth it), but none of them charged to write a script.

 

I teach, and this feels like teaching my class for their tuition, but charging extra money to meet with them in office hours.

[Guest AnnieAreYouOK]

I would feel better if vets just increased the examination fees or operation fees instead of charging excessive money for drugs. At least then I would know exactly what I'm paying for. IMO, a Vet's core business should be caring for animals, not selling drugs.

 

If I do my due diligence and am able to find a cheaper source, then I should be able to get some savings out of it and not get penalized for it.

 

Anyways, I've found a vet that doesn't charge prescription fees. I apologize if I offended anyone in this thread. I understand that it's only fair for vets to charge for their services, but this prescription fee just doesn't sit well with me.

[Burpdog]

I pay $61.50 just to have my vet do an examine. No way I should have to pay a prescription fee. I spend enough in other charges to pay for several people's time

[seeh2o]

I've never been charged one at any vet I've been to ever.

[o_rooly]

I've never been charged one at any vet I've been to ever.

Same here.. though I've only asked for scripts from two clinics, and it happened to be the same receptionist

Our current clinic HAS cut me a ton of breaks, but I don't think they charge for calling a prescription in to Costco, for example.

[Mildredpadilla]

I think that if you go to your vet for a regular visit and blood test. Any prescription for medication needed during that visit should be included in the high cost of the visit. I mean, let’s face it, it’s not like taking your animals to see the vet is cheap in anyway.