Outrage of the day: I’ve been using 1800PetMeds to save A LOT of money on prescriptions for my pack. It’s convenient, too, with the drugs being delivered right to the door. But now my veterinarian has decided that PetMeds isn’t reputable and I have to come to the vet’s office to get a written prescription each time I want to refill my dogs’ medication.
We’re talking 275 pounds of dog here. Four of them, two of which are senior citizens and consume a lot of medicine.
Basically, the vet has decided to make it so difficult to get cheaper prices on these meds, that I’ll have to go back to being charged through the nose at the vet. I went round and round with the fine folks at Pellissippi Veterinary Clinic, reminding them how much I spend on routine exams and other services each year. But there were adamant.
Then I called another vet. They, too, have decided that PetMeds is dangerous. Well, it might be dangerous to their unscrupulous practice of overcharging pet owners for medication. But I don’t see how it’s dangerous to the dog. The dogs have to have medical records at the vet. PetMeds calls to confirm that the dog is current on its shots, etc., and really should be getting the prescription.
Looks like the vets of America are aligning against PetMeds and other low-cost providers of medicine. Fortunately, I finally found a vet who is willing to work with PetMeds. I’ll be stopping by Pellissippi today to get my dogs’ records and move them to the new vet. Bastards.
5 replies on “we’re only in it for the money”
i’m not surprised. i think that medication is to them what appetizers and drinks are to a restaurant… the serious money makers. when i looked into changing vets, the new place was going to require that my “senior citizen” see an orthopedic specialist before they would prescribe the same medication that she has been taking effectively for many years. (apparently, they’re not only in it for the money but they also like to share the wealth with each other).
the net effect will be that conscientous owners will pay through the nose while millions of other pets will simply be denied proper medical care.
i used medi-vet to get gypsy’s pain meds. my vet couldn’t credibly refuse to write the prescription because he had claimed that the drug was unavailable. on the plus side, they only sold it in quantities of 500 so i am now set for a year and a half.
What the hell is a “Pellissippi”?
Jo is right; meds are a fat source of income for veternarians. They don’t have much markup on x-rays and surgeries, but on meds it is huge.
I make peace with my vet by buying the maintenance meds from 1-800-PetMeds, and my special dogfood and one-time-only meds from him. I also make sure the vet gets the annual vaccinations because those have a healthy markup, too.
That way he gets some gravy and I don’t bleed to death from heartworm, arthritis supplements and flea meds.
I’m assuming Pellissippi is some Indian name. I prefer to call it Pellistupidity, since it’s also the name of my leach vet and a community college for victims of Tennessee’s educational system.
As for making peace with the vet, I see your point. But my doctor doesn’t force me to buy meds from him. The vet shouldn’t, either. I never get out of the vet’s office for less than $100. That should be enough to run a business on. And if they want to sell drugs, too. Be competitive and I’ll buy there.
My vet works out of a converted garage at his house, charges low fees for most services and provides free medical care to every stray animal he finds or that someone brings to him.
The guy is a saint. That is why I throw him some of my business. He isn’t greedy like it sounds like the Pellistupidity people are. If nothing else your vet is guilty of being a bad businessman.
He just ran off an animal-loving DINK. Can you say “dream customer”?