I actually found that my cats' pxns are cheaper at the vet than at the druggist.

Your insurance pays part of your own pxn costs. You'd still have to pay the entire cost of your pets' pxns. It's sensible if generics are available though. One med pxd for our dog Henry (RIP) was something I could get at less than 10% the vet's price as an OTC med at WalMart (famotidine). The vet claimed that ALL OTC meds were a different strength. The OTC famotidine was indeed the SAME strength as the pxd famotidine but other meds may not be, leading to confusion with dosing and possible overdose.

Sometimes a little research nets a little saving. It's fun to try.

You've got to check the dosage when comparing Rx to OTC. Usually, the strength/dosage/mg of an OTC med is always less than an Rx.

Call around and check prices. The last Rx I got for my pet I had filled at Costco. Also make sure they have the med in stock before walking in with the prescription.

My vet prescribed valium for my dog when he was having post seizure panic attacks. The Vet wasn't legally able to have that script, so I had to go to the pharmacy to pick it up.

When I picked it up, the pharmacist said told me that the insurance company said "Wyatt" doesn't show up on as an insured person on your coverage. I said, "I hope not, he's a dog." The pharmacist got a chuckle.

I normally buy my scripted products for the animals at the vets, rather than asking for a script to buy off-site, but even the vet suggested OTC for the famatodine and it saved major money. We also got my mother's doggie's insulin and syringes at the human pharmacy. It was subtantially cheaper.

Well I just learned there is a $5.00 fee for writing or calling in a prescription at the pharmacy.I guess if I know what the drug cost ahead of time I might be able to save some money.I still would have a large savings if they need metacam again(50.00 at vets)versus the generic thats 4.00 at the pharmacy(pills)even with the fee it would be less than 10.00.

Would like to add that when I filled a prescription for our late Chihuahua last year at CVS, the tech asked if we had AAA. It saved us a nice sum!

noodles1959, I did the same at CVS last fall, using my AAA for a glaucoma med for my dog. Saved me quite a bit of money,too.

The law regarding veterinary prescriptions varies from state to state. Some states require that vets provide prescriptions upon client request. Others recommend that vets provide prescriptions but don't mandate it. Scripts can save pet owners a tremendous amount of money if you price shop.

Another money-saving tactic is to call around to all of the "chain" pharmacies (WalMart, K-Mart, Target, Walgreens, etc) and see if the med you need is on their discount list. All of these pharmacies have lists of meds that they sell at deep discounts (like $4 for a 30 day supply or similar), but their lists aren't identical, so it's worth calling around to see if you can find your specific med on anyone's discount list. I've saved a bundle that way.

The savings can be substantial. On the CRF Support Mailing List, there are new members who pay as much as $25 per bag for Lactated Ringer's from their vets. Those of us who have been treating our cats for a while, though, know that we can buy a case (TWELVE bags) of Ringer's with a script at a pharmacy for that same $25.

Laurie

Thanks for the heads up. Never been charged a fee for a prescription either.

You can also get a prescription called in from your vet to another for food.

My cat needs Renal food. My vet is 60 blocks away, so, I have him call in a prescription to a vet a few blocks from me. Not only is the vet near me much easier to run over to, the food is a lot cheaper.

In my experience, the discount lists for the different pharmacy chains are online. Then you can look for yourself and not get tied up in a phone call. I get Bina's doxicycline at Rite Aide, but since she gets two pills a day, I have to pay the 3-month price. It is still cheaper than at the vet. We have a superstore chain based in Grand Rapids, MI called Meijer. They give certain antibiotics for FREE. When one of the dogs needed one, they filled it for free for him, too. DH has been shopping there ever since. :-)

Meijer is in MI, IN, IL, OH, and KY, and you can find the stores below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Meijer locations

Our cat, Heather, has small-cell lymphoma requiring pilling of prednisolone twice a day and a chemo pill four days out of 21. The first pred was purchased from the vet, 60 pills for $20.70 plus tax. I decided to check PetMeds and the cost for 100 pills, including shipping, was $26.00. I placed my order on a Friday and on the following Monday got an email from PetMeds saying they hadn't received the script from the vet yet. Called the vet and they told me they hadn't received a request from PetMeds. So called PetMeds and they said they would re-send the FAX. The next day, Tuesday, I called the vet and finally they said it had been FAXed back to PetMeds. But, by then, I needed some pred to tide me over until the PetMeds pills arrived and asked for 12. Went to pick them up on Wed. and the cost was $20,70 (plus tax). I asked how many - was told 30. I then asked for just 12 and was told the price was the same. So, then I said, give me 60 as I paid that for 60 last time. Then I was told that they could only dispense 30 as the vet was on vacation (there are 8 vets total in the clinic) and no other vet could prescribe. So, I called PetMeds and they overnighted the 100 pills to me and I told the vet's office to forget it.

I can only figure out that they have just one price for the pills, up to 60. Anyway, I'm a big fan of PetMeds now.

And the chemo pill has to be bought at a pharmacy. RiteAid wanted $33 for 4 pills. Costco's price was 1/2 the cost. So, check around.

We found, with a cat who had CRF (now deceased) that lactated ringers were $24 for 12 at Costco and the vet charged $14 for one.

Check out Walgreen's - they have a Pet Prescription program. $20/year - but saves 16-18% on every script.
We treated our Akita regularly for 2 years with glaucoma drugs. More than paid for itself & was substantially cheaper than the vet.
You can set up your account on line & place orders online - to either have shipped to you at no charge - or pick up in your local store.

The vet might not itemize the dispensing fee on a bill, but they all are likely still charging one, one way or another. Here, it is $11, whether it's one pill or 120. As I recall, my vet said he is not allowed to mark up drug prices directly, but that might have been for specific types of drugs or state law, can't remember. Bottles, labels, ink, bags, counting, ordering, stocking. They charge for their operating costs.

Surely the pharmacy also charges fees. Sometimes you can get a better price, say, when larger operations can order in bulk, but not always. You also have to be careful with the different forumlations when calling around beforehand.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Fri, Aug 2, 13 at 23:36