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Don't automatically get pet medicines from the vet
About two-thirds of the pet owners we surveyed for this report said they buy their pet medicines from the vet who prescribes them. That's often a mistake because vets' markups over wholesale start at 100 percent and frequently hit 160 percent, plus a $5 to $15 dispensing fee, according to the American Animal Hospital Association's latest Veterinary Fee Reference.
For some medicines, the markups are even higher, according to a survey of wholesale prices compared with retail prices charged by 1,728 veterinarians, conducted in 2009 by LHK Partners, a market research firm. Examples include a 567 percent markup for the anti-inflammatory steroid prednisone, 800 percent for the pain reliever tramadol, and 1,019 percent for the antibiotic amoxicillin.
For one-time prescriptions, you might be willing to pay extra for the convenience of getting the drugs at your vet's office. You might not have a choice in an emergency. But especially for medications that you'll be buying repeatedly for a pet's chronic conditions, you should consider going elsewhere. Ask your vet to quote a price and give you a written prescription, then call around.
Another option is to shop at one of the Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites accredited by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Eleven such sites currently exist, including 1-800-PetMeds, Drs. Foster & Smith, KV Vet Supply, and PetCareRX.
Consumer Reports suggests if your pet is taking a medication that's also prescribed to humans, as is often the case, you might be able to have the prescription filled inexpensively at a chain drugstore, supermarket pharmacy, or big-box retailer.
Walgreens, for example, allows customers to enroll their pets as family members in its Prescription Savings Club. Giant/Eagle, Kroger, and Target also have discount programs that are open to pets. At 35 of its pharmacies in Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Tennessee, Target is trying out a program called PetRx to fill prescriptions for veterinary medicines.
Drugstore discount programs usually offer generic medications for as little as $4 for 30 doses or $9 to $16 for 90 doses. Be sure to ask the pharmacist whether you need to split the pills or do anything else to achieve the right dosage for your pet.