Pay for Prescription?

[RUDisney]

When my Mom had her dog at the vet a couple weeks ago, she was told that Brigette was going to need to go on heart medicine. For 60 pills, it is $49. The vet told her that if she could find a better source for the drug, he'd be happy to write her a prescription.

Well, my brother is a pharmacist and can get the drug for $3.49 for 60 tablets, or he can get 100 tablets for $5 and change.

So, Mom calls the vet and asks for the prescription. She tells the receptionist that if he'll write the script for 100 pills, then she can save more money. the receptionist comes back to the phone and says the dr will only prescribe for 60 pills at one time and there is a $10 fee for him to write the prescription.

Mom is angry at him. He never told her that there was going to be a prescription writing fee and she wouldn't have known that she could even get the drug anywhere else if he didn't tell her. She's not mad about the $10 but at the principle of having to pay to get a prescription for the drug her dog needs to live. I guess his office is not about caring for the animals, but for caring for the vet's pocket.

Anyone else ever experience anything like this? What do you think of this practice? I think it's absurd. He'll still make his money with the frequent visits Brigette will need to make to monitor her heart condition. I think he's being a pig when asking for an extra $10.

 

[JetMom]

I understand your frustration, but the bottom line is you are getting a $60 medication for $13.49.

The vet did not have to give the information about alternate sources for the medication at all. I think he really was trying to be kind.

 

[piratesmate]

No one I know around has to pay their vet to get a prescription to take to the pharmacy. It's often cheaper that way & I know a number of people who do this. I think it's awful that they want $$ to write a script!

I can understand, perhaps, about the 60 vs 100 pills. If they want to see the pet every 2 months for health reasons, they might not want you to cancel appts.

Recently, a number of people doctors around here though have started charging to fill out school physical forms. I think that's awful, too!

 

[alabamaalan]

I recently ordered my dog's flea pills online, but if I wanted to order heartguard (heartworm preventative) it would require a prescription.

My vet would have charged me for a prescription had I chosen to order online instead of buying from him.

 

[~Sparkly~Zoe]

My vet doesn't charge me to write a script.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by RUDisney
For 60 pills, it is $49. The vet told her that if she could find a better source for the drug, he'd be happy to write her a prescription.

Well, my brother is a pharmacist and can get the drug for $3.49 for 60 tablets, or he can get 100 tablets for $5 and change.

I don't have a problem with giving him $10. He obviously wants to make something off the script since you're not spending the full amount in his office. But I do have a problem with being charged $49 when the pharmacist pays $3.49 for the same amount of pills! Talk about highway robery! Now just think of the mark-up on all the meds WE use!

 

[Mad4Mickey]

I work at a 12 Doctor vet clinic and we do not charge to write a script . If it were me I would call around and see if that is normal for your area.


Wishing you a Tagged night
Mishell

 

[RUDisney]

Originally posted by Pin Wizard
I don't have a problem with giving him $10. He obviously wants to make something off the script since you're not spending the full amount in his office. But I do have a problem with being charged $49 when the pharmacist pays $3.49 for the same amount of pills! Talk about highway robery! Now just think of the mark-up on all the meds WE use!

We don't have a problem so much with the $10. We know that Mom is still saving a bundle. It's the principle of the matter. Our people dr's don't charge us to write a prescription, it seems outratgeous for a vet to do so.

My brother can talk on and on about how much drugs are marked up. Let's say he can buy a bottle of 500 tylenol caplets for $5.00 (or less.) The hospital will charge the patient $7.00 per dose. Heck, they do have to have someone "qualified" to take the caplets out of the bottle and put them in a little paper cup and then they have to have someone "qualified" to dispense it to you in your room. I put "qualified" in quotes because I think LIFE qualifies all of us to be able to dispense tylenol.

He works in a "fat" hospital, where they specialize in the stomach stapling or bypass operations. He says that everyone who is admitted is issued a "personal hygiene device" for $25. This is actually plastic salad tongs that you can get at any dollar store. It is used post-op for the patients, who are still sore, to be able to reach the TP to their bums.

Highway robbery? YEP! You've got my vote on that one.

It makes me wonder why the vet didn't say, if you can find someone else to fill the prescription, I'll write it for you, but I charge $10 for it. I guess it's easier to have the receptionist do the dirty work.

 

[Kirk]

Gee 1800petmeds will obtain a script for you if needed! Probably because of a mark-up though.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Originally posted by Pin Wizard
Now just think of the mark-up on all the meds WE use!

You can thank insurance companies for that one. In the medical field.... places that accept all insurance are losing money on some of their patients. Guess who makes up the difference?? The cash paying customer!

I agree the $10 fee is a little odd, but I can see the vet's perspective too. He could have kept his mouth shut, but he chose to save you some money.

 

[Pin Wizard]

When I gave birth to DS in 1993, I was allowed to take my meds from home and take them myself. A couple years later when I worked at that hospital, they decided patients could no longer bring meds from home. They had to be "issued" and dispensed by the hospital. We all knew it was for the almighty buck!

My nephew is in his senior year of high school and decided he doesn't want to go to law school because of all the work and time involved. I think I'll suggest he be a pharmacist!

 

[LadyAurora]

I don't agree with the $10 charge for writing a prescription. Didn't your mother just pay him for an office visit? And, while he was being "nice" by suggesting that she may be able to obtain the meds elsewhere, that is information she could have found out on her own, and I bet she would be pretty steamed if he HADN'T told her.

 

[RUDisney]

The one thing this has taught me is that next time one of my dogs needs to be on some expensive meds, I'm going to check with my brother to see what he can get them for before I buy a bunch from the vet. Last year, one of my pugs needed a fungus med that cost $3-5 per day. I wonder what my brother could have gotten it for. My dog was on this drug for most of the summer. Cha-ching. (I use a different vet whom I'm sure wouldn't have charged me to write a prescription. He's one of my DH's customers and often slips extras into what we buy there, like shampoo, etc., just to be nice.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Originally posted by LadyAurora
..... and I bet she would be pretty steamed if he HADN'T told her.

Hmmmm.... so there should be a sign in the office that says "We will sell you this for $50, but you can get it elsewhere for $10."

It's the consumer's responsibility to be a smart shopper.......