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Recently, I switched vets due to costs. I have 2 dogs that are on heart worm preventatives. The new vet gave me a hard time about ordering heart worm pills online instead of in his office. I explained that I have 2 dogs, one weighing 9lbs and the other 70lbs so it gets expensive to order for 2 dogs from his office and that is the most cost effective way. This vets office charges 2x more than the online company. The online company is Doctor Foster and Smith.
Does the vet have the right to withhold my dogs prescription because I don't order from his office?
I find it unacceptable because I pay for the care. I plan to switch to another vet this summer but don't want to have to worry about this problem again.
Your new vet is being a jerk. He makes money off the prescription if you buy in office, but doesn't have the right to withhold it from my experience. Any good vet would know that a happy pet owner will return and bring years of business, this new one is short sighted.
You might want to talk to prospective new vets first about your preferences and find one who understands.
Keep looking for a good vet. My vet will not write scripts to the online places either but he does match their prices plus 10%. If you want to avoid this in the future call first and ask what the policy is before making an appointment.
I agree with Dogmama, the vet does not understand that he is driving clients away.
OP- read the link carefully. Then check with your state to determine exactly what the state requires vets to do as far as writing prescriptions for online pharmacies or local ones. In my state a vet has to write a prescription if requested for use elsewhere. Fortunately, it's never been a problem for me and I've never had to force the issue. My vet even suggests it at times.
I recently learned that most pet medication is people medication that can be obtained from the $4 lists. I'm never ordering medication from a vet again until I've researched it and determined that it's not a people medicine. If I had a jerk refuse to give me a prescription, I'd report him to whatever organization is responsible for veterinary licenses and I'd switch vets.
This is interesting thread! My Pharmacy said there'd be no problem to provide the refills of pills we needed for our Terrier because it was just a lower dosage of a human pill, and all they had to do was call the vet for the authorization. When we went back to pick it up a little while later, were told that our vets told the pharmacist NO because we have to buy it from the Vet themselves. This was VCA. It sucked because the pharmacy was right around the corner and the Vet office wasn't.
This is from the America Veterinary Medical Association. I've come to the conclusion that vets and the vet association are not ethical. We need to find a list of states that have laws preventing vets from forcing people to buy meds from their offices.
Quote:
Q: If I choose to get my pet's prescriptions filled elsewhere, can my veterinarian refuse to give me a prescription?
A: Your veterinarian might strongly recommend that you get the medication directly from them, but some states actually require veterinarians to write prescriptions for clients to have filled elsewhere if requested by the client. Some states do not require this of veterinarians.
There are certainly situations where it is in your pet's best interest to get the medication directly from your veterinarian, and we encourage you to discuss your options with your veterinarian. The AVMA's Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics recommends that veterinarians comply with their client's wishes and provide written prescriptions if the client prefers having the prescription filled elsewhere.
Q: Can my veterinarian charge me a fee for writing a prescription for my pet?
A: There is no federal law preventing your veterinarian from charging you a fee for their services and time invested in writing a prescription. Some veterinarians charge a nominal fee for writing prescriptions, but others don't. Individual states might have specific guidance for veterinarians on prescription fees.
Grammyof5- this is why I provided the link. Contact your state board of veterinary medicine and find out what their policy on prescriptions is.
VCA is a conglomerate- it's a huge business. Its policies on prescriptions serve its profit margin. If your state says the vet can or must write a prescription if asked, then argue with the vet. Report him to the state if necessary if he refuses.
Here- I'll make it easy- this is a list of the prescription requirements by state
Unfortunately my state isn't one of them. But they only checked with the PA Board of Veterinary Medicine. They didn't get a definitive answer from the PA Board of Pharmacy. I'm going to follow up on this for Pennsylvania. If it turns out there aren't any laws, I'll go to my state representative. Heck, I'll contact all of the state reps.
This is from the America Veterinary Medical Association. I've come to the conclusion that vets and the vet association are not ethical. We need to find a list of states that have laws preventing vets from forcing people to buy meds from their offices.
I figured this was unethical. I'm in Michigan. So they must provide the prescription according to the site. I don't like when vets try to take advantage of services for money but I wanted to make sure I researched this first. Thanks!
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