Vet drug costs

I wonder if mark up becomes a bigger problem the more people ask for scripts and it turns into a vicious circle? Vets pretty much have to hold a certain amount of drugs if they're to meet emergency needs, but when people ask for a prescription then I wonder how many of these drugs go out of date? That means the vet makes a loss on them which they try to recover by marking up.

I don't blame people not wanting to pay a massive mark up, but it may explain why it's a problem for everyone.
 
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carthorse said:
I wonder if mark up becomes a bigger problem the more people ask for scripts and it turns into a vicious circle? Vets pretty much have to hold a certain amount of drugs if they're to meet emergency needs, but when people ask for a prescription then I wonder how many of these drugs go out of date? That means the vet makes a loss on them which they try to recover by marking up.

I don't blame people not wanting to pay a massive mark up, but it may explain why it's a problem for everyone.
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If they reduced the mark up to similar price you can buy online then surely people wouldn't get scripts because for convenience they would want it there and then at the vets?
 
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I would buy from the vets if the price was even close. But we are talking about 3x online cost for flea and tick and 6 x online cost for Metacam. 6 times? That's got to be because many people will cover it with insurance. It is such a black hole.
 
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Ale said:
If they reduced the mark up to similar price you can buy online then surely people wouldn't get scripts because for convenience they would want it there and then at the vets?
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Like I said, it's a vicious circle. Presumably some drugs they have to hold because if they're needed they're needed pretty much straight away, but if the need for them doesn't arise for a while then the stock goes out of date and is waste - however clients wouldn't be happy if they were told their animal needed drug X but there would be a 3 day wait in getting it because in order to keep costs down the vet didn't hold it in stock. It's a situation where no-one wins.
 
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I wouldn't try and buy online with prescription - even though for a lot of years both my old girls needed Danilon long term. My reasoning is that for one, it was a lot of hassle sorting a prescription and the cost of having the check every six months (think that's right) added up to pretty much the same as it would have online. Our old vets where we lived were very strict about seeing the girls and wouldn't let me have another box or prescription without a visit and a check up on them. Here I like to support my local vets, they are excellent and go above and beyond always for us and our animals. From my experience I doubt if the juice would be worth the squeeze. By the time it had got here and arrived damaged or damp (I have a milk churn for the mail) it wouldn't be worth it and I'd probably end up losing money not saving any.
 
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I think it's more to do with profits and insurance like someone else said. I work in a vets and we barely ever do written prescriptions, I'm not sure most people know or they can't be bothered with the hassle maybe. There's a wait for loads of meds and food as it's not ordered until it sold. And barely any of our stock goes out of date because we check it monthly and anything running out is prescribed conveniently haha. It's just such a shame because it's such huge margins that people will pay, it would be nice to know for certain why.
 
Ale said:
I think it's more to do with profits and insurance like someone else said. I work in a vets and we barely ever do written prescriptions, I'm not sure most people know or they can't be bothered with the hassle maybe. There's a wait for loads of meds and food as it's not ordered until it sold. And barely any of our stock goes out of date because we check it monthly and anything running out is prescribed conveniently haha. It's just such a shame because it's such huge margins that people will pay, it would be nice to know for certain why.
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That's a shame, and thankfully not how my vets work. Out of interest @Ale is your practice a private one or part of a group? I've heard of this sort of thing before when practices are part of a group and being a profitable centre becomes very important.
 
carthorse said:
That's a shame, and thankfully not how my vets work. Out of interest @Ale is your practice a private one or part of a group? I've heard of this sort of thing before when practices are part of a group and being a profitable centre becomes very important.
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We are an independent
 
I think a lot of horse owners don’t know they can ask for a script, and very few small animal owners know. Tbh I’ve educated a couple of vets that they can give them, when I’ve asked and been told they’re not allowed to do it, I’ve asked them to go back and check because I’m aware I legally have the right to ask for one, and they’ve always obliged.
I do think insurance is a lot to do with the increasing prices, vets could almost ask whatever they liked because people don’t question how much things are when their insurance is paying. Though I understand insurance companies are now specifying which hospitals should be used as some are so expensive.
 
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Having to reconsider my options. So have a couple of questions.
I note above @MrA you quote £20 for prescription charge. Ive just been quoted £27. I know your in the field so could you double check this or could anyone confirm the prescription price for me please.
Also noted Trewsers said the horse has to be seem every six months to get prescription. Anyone know for certain because if thats the case it wont work out any cheaper if your charged consultation and a call out if you cant do zone day.
I know a few of you have used online for prescriptions. Theres so much fake stuff i dont want to want to end up on a bad site. So what sites for getting repeat prescriptions please.
 
chunky monkey said:
Having to reconsider my options. So have a couple of questions.
I note above @MrA you quote £20 for prescription charge. Ive just been quoted £27. I know your in the field so could you double check this or could anyone confirm the prescription price for me please.
Also noted Trewsers said the horse has to be seem every six months to get prescription. Anyone know for certain because if thats the case it wont work out any cheaper if your charged consultation and a call out if you cant do zone day.
I know a few of you have used online for prescriptions. Theres so much fake stuff i dont want to want to end up on a bad site. So what sites for getting repeat prescriptions please.
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Prescription price is set by the vet, it varies hugely from my experience practice to practice
 
Each vets can set their own prescription charge, because it's an admin fee to write the script, so it will vary, ours was £18.30 last time I had one (March 2022). The price we pay for the human one is a fixed/subsidised fee for the drugs itself. My vets gave me stuff if they had been seen in the last year for the most part - unless it was something specific that they had to be careful they didn't have any heart issues to give it to them.
I have found Viovet, petdrugsonline and 365vet all to be good and send original products in packaging.
 
carthorse said:
I've always found that places like Hyperdrug and Viovet are good on prices and have never had reason to doubt what I've received. I expect the ones who are licensed to sell prescription drugs have to be supplying the real thing or they'd lose their licence. Things like vet wrap, well if it does the job I'm not that fussed about brand anyway.
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The vet wrap I bought was aimed at humans. It does the job, it's cheaper and a bulk order came with a free crunchie bar 😂
 
Trewsers said:
I just had another look and they do deliver to Orkney now but at extra cost, not sure what that is, I'd have to try buying something and see. I've never heard of Highland Parcels. Evri and Dpd come here most days though.
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Sorry to go ot, but have you seen the new royal mail drones delivering on Orkney?
 
newforest said:
The vet wrap I bought was aimed at humans. It does the job, it's cheaper and a bulk order came with a free crunchie bar 😂
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Yeah I brought unbranded vet wrap by the box full when Jess was having abscess after abscess, but this conversation is about drugs - I would not want drugs in an unmarked packet showing up - too much risk of it being talcum powder or rat poison!
 
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chunky monkey said:
Also noted Trewsers said the horse has to be seem every six months to get prescription. Anyone know for certain because if thats the case it wont work out any cheaper if your charged consultation and a call out if you cant do zone day.
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This bit depends on what the medication is and what your vet is willing to do. For most medications it is usually every 6 months but it's worth speaking to your vet and seeing if they could stretch it to a year.
 
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