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Expert Cat Care Advice
Internet pharmacies & online pet stores
Price seem too good to be true? Maybe it is!
Dr Jo Lewis MRCVS | 13 Sep 2021 | 5 min read
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Why do online internet pharmacies often appear so much cheaper?
If something appears too good to be true, sometimes it's for a reason!
- Internet retailers buy in massive quantities and therefore have lots of bargaining power with the drug companies to negotiate the biggest discounts.
- Many drugs sold through internet pharmacies are “loss leaders” which means they are sold so cheaply that no profit is made on the item. The saying "stack them high, sell them cheap" springs to mind. Other prices are usually inflated to make up the money lost. The marketing of toys, treats and bonus offers such as “BOGOF” or “free delivery if you spend more than…XYZ” usually ensure that owners purchase more than they set out to while browsing the store, so profit is made elsewhere.
- There are also illegal internet pharmacies selling counterfeit drugs so be very wary.
Are internet pet pharmacies safe places to buy my cat's medications?
Online shopping can be very convenient and economical, but one of the down sides is that it is open to fraud. Bargain basement prices could mean that seemingly familiar medications & foods are not from a genuine source! Can you afford to compromise your cat's care for the sake of a few pounds?
If you are not asked to provide a copy of a written prescription and provide full details about you and your cat, then steer clear. As a customer it may be difficult to judge whether an online seller is legitimate or not. In the past a large online pet pharmacy company was found guilty of fraud – prescription drugs were being sold to unsuspecting owners via their online store. Millions of pounds of drugs were being sold that were illegal imported via Europe from goodness knows where! Read the government report.
You can check up on a retailer here with the UK Government's Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) who are in charge of regulating and auditing veterinary practices, wholesalers and medicine retailers. A quick search will show whether your usual medicine supplier is accredited. Download a copy of their latest information about online pharmacy regulations.
If you are not asked to provide a copy of a written prescription and provide full details about you and your cat, then steer clear. As a customer it may be difficult to judge whether an online seller is legitimate or not. In the past a large online pet pharmacy company was found guilty of fraud – prescription drugs were being sold to unsuspecting owners via their online store. Millions of pounds of drugs were being sold that were illegal imported via Europe from goodness knows where! Read the government report.
You can check up on a retailer here with the UK Government's Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) who are in charge of regulating and auditing veterinary practices, wholesalers and medicine retailers. A quick search will show whether your usual medicine supplier is accredited. Download a copy of their latest information about online pharmacy regulations.
Trustworthy online retailer should proudly display the VMD logo and license ID number like this one: |
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What about if the retailer is based overseas?
If tempted to buy prescription medications from overseas, please be aware that it is illegal to acquire or be in possession of prescription drugs when the supplier or even the source of drugs originated from outside the UK. If you purchase you cat’s drugs on the internet you may be purchasing illegal or counterfeit drugs. At best they will not be effective. At worst they could significantly harm or kill your cat!
Why should I consider buying from my vet instead?
Because it buys you peace of mind and reassurance that what you are getting is genuine and you get:
Buying from your vet also means:
Because it buys you peace of mind and reassurance that what you are getting is genuine and you get:
- Medication authenticity, traceability and urgent alerts when batches of medication are potentially recalled. All drugs are delivered to vets through a secure veterinary wholesale supplier. This means vets can guarantee that products have been stored and transported correctly and have originated from a verified legal source. The price vets charge includes the process of safe storage, dispensing and staff training.
- After-sale care & advice specific to your individual cat's needs - no one knows what's best medically for your cat, than your trusted cat vet. Every time a prescription is dispensed your cats’ records have been reviewed and the prescription tailored to your cat’s unique requirements.
Buying from your vet also means:
- You continue to support a local small business - some vet practices are part of big corporate chains owned by non-vets, but many are small, family run businesses that are (whether you choose to believe it or not), struggling to cope with the rising costs of providing increasingly more advanced veterinary care. Many practices cannot afford to purchase stock in money-saving bulk quantities, so only keep small amounts in stock or order a single item in for your specifically for your cat. By supporting your local vet you will be a more valued client and the money can be re-invested in the clinic and that means providing more staff, continuing education and better equipment for your cat.
- The prescribing fee you pay for a written prescription is already incorporated into the final cost of the medication being dispensed.
- Your vet is not just supplying your cat's drugs - they provide specific professional advice and support from highly trained and dedicated staff. Even if it is not the cheapest option, you can rest assured nobody knows your cat's medical needs better than your vet... something that definitely can't be bought online!
Written prescriptions
Written prescriptions are available on request from any vet. A fee for this is chargeable to cover the time needed to review the medical notes and formulate the prescription. Please note that the cost of the medication itself is paid directly to the pharmacist. Written prescriptions are not likely to be appropriate for patients in need of urgent or inpatient care.
A word of caution about taking written prescriptions to human pharmacies
I have had several potentially disastrous experiences with owners who have requested written prescriptions for use at human pharmacies. One particular cat that springs to mind was taking actually taking the potent medication for high blood pressure – despite me clearly writing on the prescription both in numbers and words (as is legally required), the local pharmacist dispensed the drug with a label instructing “Give ONE tablet daily” when the dose on the prescription was in fact one eighth of a tablet! Luckily her human was on the ball and picked up the discrepancy before potentially fatally overdosing her cat!
Over the years I have had several human pharmacists chuckle as I have requested medication for my own elderly cats as they are seemingly unaware that all mammals have similar physiological processes and malfunctions in these processes as humans. I completely understand that it is outside of the remit of human pharmacists to know about animals, that why all vets are the trained pharmacists for the animal world…when we dispense a medication it gets double checked and comes with a wealth of knowledge about the drug and its use and side effects in cats.
Over the years I have had several human pharmacists chuckle as I have requested medication for my own elderly cats as they are seemingly unaware that all mammals have similar physiological processes and malfunctions in these processes as humans. I completely understand that it is outside of the remit of human pharmacists to know about animals, that why all vets are the trained pharmacists for the animal world…when we dispense a medication it gets double checked and comes with a wealth of knowledge about the drug and its use and side effects in cats.
