Asking Vet For Prescription (Seems Like A Silly Question)

[sarabz]

I feel like I should know the answer but I've never had a pet on monthly maintenance meds that are expensive through the vet. I could save a fair amount of money by ordering online but what's the best way to ask my vet for a prescription rather than buying through them. I would think most vets would be ok with this, right? Or maybe not since it impacts their income?

 

Also, I've looked at a number of the threads here about prescriptions and ordering recommendations, so will really check those out.

Thanks!

 

[MaryJane]

My dogs are on maintenance meds and both vets asked whether I wanted a prescription. If your vet has not offered, then ask for the prescription. Most of us want to support out local vets but, the prices can be daunting ... Larry is on a pill that costs $10 for one from the vet but, I can get it from Foster & Smith for about $2 a pill. One of Lucy's seizure meds would have been about $300 a month from the vet, I got it from Costco for a bit over $100 - and that neurologist told me honestly which pills I should get from their place and which ones on line -- surprisingly, their hospital has one of the best prices for Zonisamide because they order so much and get a deal from the vendor.

 

Edited to add --- forgot to mention that you should check online (places like Foster & Smith) and see whether you can get it cheaper and by how much.

Edited September 1, 2015 by MaryJane

[cleptogrey]

i just ask, they always cooperate. when i brought annie in for intense pain and lameness in her right front leg(thought it was cancer but it is calicification of the shoulder irritating the muscle that emanates at the back and attaches at the shoulder- the site w/ the 2 calcified points) the orthopedic specialist who i never saw before called a list of vendors to see who had the best price.he sent me home with 2 weeks worth of meds to hold me over. ALLIVET has you order the rx, you enter your vet in their data base and they contact your vet. for the rx. pain meds, i.e. tramadol and gabapentin are cheap at COSTCO. i used to order my scottie's florneiff thru a canadian pharmacy, less than 1/3 the cost of american vendors, that took a month per order so i ordered many months worth at a time.

 

don't you order your heart worm meds on line?

Edited September 1, 2015 by cleptogrey

[Saharasmom]

I just called the vet & asked the receptionist. She said she'd have the vet fax the Rx to Costco. Very easy and not awkward at all.

[Houndtime]

I explain to our vet that it is less expensive from another source. Last time our vet matched heart worm meds price of Foster's and Smith. He could not match the Frontline, so he gave me a scrip.

 

When our Paul was still alive, his eye drops were a basic Baush and Lomb prescription. From the vet, they were $23. From Walmart, $7. My vet said she couldn't get them from her supplier for that price. She gave us a scrip.

[LBass]

I was a bit hesitant about asking for prescriptions but finally did so and my vet was very willing to provide prescriptions. I usually get one-time meds from his office but with any kind of maintenance medication he has always been happy to provide a prescription. Most of the cat's meds come from Costco and I order one from Valley Vet (Atopica) for him. Piper's seizure meds came from Costco and from a compounding pharmacy in California. Spirit's Soloxine has been a problem this past year--Costco has had a hard time getting it and so has the vet. We've settled on a substitute now that is inexpensive from the vet's office.

[GeorgeofNE]

I read a veterinarian code of ethics somewhere on line. This is one of the issues specifically addressed. You are a CUSTOMER. If your vet won't help you save money, find a new vet.

[phall]

I felt awkward asking for a prescription, too, but decided it was worth it given the savings. My vet was fine with it and now whenever I need a prescription she always asks me if I want her to fill it or write a prescription.

[dante2zoe]

My vet told me that she doesn't particularly want to run a pharmacy, so will happily call in or give me a script for whatever I need. She has even told me the best place to find sum of their medications. She also told me it was a waste of money for me to bring a dog in for maintenance injections or fluids and instructed me on how to do them myself. She does check their status, but doesn't want to cost me more money than necessary. Have to appreciate that sentiment!

[DonnaBehr]

I explain to our vet that it is less expensive from another source. Last time our vet matched heart worm meds price of Foster's and Smith. He could not match the Frontline, so he gave me a scrip.

 

When our Paul was still alive, his eye drops were a basic Baush and Lomb prescription. From the vet, they were $23. From Walmart, $7. My vet said she couldn't get them from her supplier for that price. She gave us a scrip.

Irene, you don't need a script for Frontline. You can get it anywhere.

 

I order most of my heartworm meds from KVVetSupply or Omaha Vaccine. They seem to be the most reasonable. My Vet has never hesitated to give me an RX for anything and when I needed blood pressure and kidney disease meds for Chica, Walmart was the cheapest. The Internist at the specialty care center even showed me a website where I can check prices for meds (human and animal) and download discount coupons for many drugs.

[sarabz]

Thanks all! Will ask my vet about it. I just changed vets - the previous one really pushed buying all the meds (heartworm etc) at their office and made me feel badly about not doing so (one of the many reasons I changed).

[racindog]

Thanks all! Will ask my vet about it. I just changed vets - the previous one really pushed buying all the meds (heartworm etc) at their office and made me feel badly about not doing so (one of the many reasons I changed).

good luck. 99% of the vets I have had to deal with do the same and it is nearly impossible to get a script

[carronstar]

I guess that is another benefit to home care vets. They don't keep meds on hand. My NYC vet was always good about either going and getting it himself and giving it to me at his cost (have I mentioned how much I adored that man!) or giving me online scrips, the same with the specialist at the teaching hospital. So far Tallulah is on nothing but supplements but I would think my home care vet out here will (minus the serious discount) be much the same. He doesn't have the physical space to keep things on hand in any volume level.

 

I always found 1-800-PetMeds to be great on service and price.

[DocsDoctor]

Here in the UK the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons state that a vet must write you a prescription, if asked and if he has seen the animal recently, but that he may make a 'reasonable charge' for it. Mine charges £12, which seems fair enough and still usually means a considerable saving for buying long-term meds online. They have explained me that they can't buy these in for the practice as cheaply as I can buy them for myself: the online pharmacies buy much bigger quantities, so can negotiate discounts directly with the manufacturers.

[turbotaina]

My vet told me that she doesn't particularly want to run a pharmacy, so will happily call in or give me a script for whatever I need. She has even told me the best place to find sum of their medications. She also told me it was a waste of money for me to bring a dog in for maintenance injections or fluids and instructed me on how to do them myself. She does check their status, but doesn't want to cost me more money than necessary. Have to appreciate that sentiment!

 

Who's your vet? You're in Montgomery County, right? I like the clinic I go to in Leesburg, but having a backup option is always a good thing Feel free to PM me if you don't want to publicly post the name. Thanks

[PatricksMom]

I'm going to have to start buying my Trifexis from Costoc, unless my vet can & will price match, but I don't think the practice owners due that. I spend enough there on care, I can't send an extra 25% a month when I can get the same thing from Costoc. I also buy Frontline from Costco, Leo's Denamarine from Amazon (checked, packaging, internal & external is identical), and Leo's prozac and Tramadol from Kroger (my pharmacy--she actually can't write more than I forget, 3days or something of Tramadol due to FDA rules).

 

As for feeling badly, I know this can be a loaded subject, but do you feel badly asking your doctor for a script?

[Guest xengab]

You could always go online and have them contact the vet for a refill I've used a few Rxsites to get meds for various pets. I had one vet refused to write a prescription for needed meds for my hyperT cat. Yes, refused unless I got them from her and it was a gel which my cat had a reaction too. So yes some nutty vets are out there.

 

Most dont really care and they dont really make too much money off those meds anyway. Unless we need it on the spot, we are told of various places to buy it online.

[cmc333]

My vet will only fax an Rx to a local pharmacy for me. He won't write out a prescription for me to buy the meds online. Not quite sure why; office person said something about "internet pharmacies can't be trusted to have the real meds". (which I know is nonsense, but except for that quirk, I love my vet.)

[tbhounds]

My vet will only fax an Rx to a local pharmacy for me. He won't write out a prescription for me to buy the meds online. Not quite sure why; office person said something about "internet pharmacies can't be trusted to have the real meds". (which I know is nonsense, but except for that quirk, I love my vet.)

It's not nonsense. You do need to be careful buying medications from online "pharmacys". I'm not saying not to do so but, you should be selective where you make your purchases from. The vets biggest problem with scripting meds out is not the loss of income--most vets don't want to stock a ton of meds on their shelves-ties up a lot of money-it's knowing that their patients are receiving the proper medication. It's very hard to regulate and monitor a pet when your not sure of the the efficacy of the medication they are taking.

[sarabz]

Thanks all! Turned out to be no big deal, one of the techs even recommended a particular pharmacy.

[PatricksMom]

Thanks all! Turned out to be no big deal, one of the techs even recommended a particular pharmacy.

Great! Just as an example, Tramadol can range, in my experience from $4/month-$50/month, depending on the pharmacy.