Written Prescriptions & Pharmacies
WRITTEN PRESCRIPTIONS
Written prescriptions are available on request. In line with other practices, a fee is chargeable to cover the time needed to review the medical notes and formulate the prescription. The current fee for this is £12.95. 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.
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 – the local pharmacist dispensed the drug with a label instructing her owner to “Give ONE tablet daily” when the dose on the prescription was in fact an eighth of a tablet! Luckily her owner picked up the discrepancy before potentially fatally overdosing her cat!
I have had several human pharmacists chuckle as I have requested blood pressure tablets for my own elderly cats “… you mean cats actually get high blood pressure?”. I completely understand that it is outside of the remit of human pharmacists to know about animals. 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.
ONLINE/INTERNET PHARMACIES
Why do they appear so much cheaper?
If something appears too good to be true, it usually is!
- 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 so cheaply that no profit is made on the item. The saying "stack them high, sell them cheap" springs to mind. Other prices are 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…” usually ensure that owners purchase more than they set out to so profit is made elsewhere.
- There are illegal internet pharmacies selling counterfeit drugs so be very wary.
Are online pharmacies safe?
Online shopping can be very convenient and economical, but one of the down sides is that it is open to fraud. This applies to internet pharmacies too. 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 an owner it may be difficult to judge whether an online seller is legitimate or not. In the past year one 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. Click here to read the full government report.
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!
Trustworthy online retailers should proudly display the VMD logo and license ID number.
Online shopping can be very convenient and economical, but one of the down sides is that it is open to fraud. This applies to internet pharmacies too. 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 an owner it may be difficult to judge whether an online seller is legitimate or not. In the past year one 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. Click here to read the full government report.
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!
Trustworthy online retailers should proudly display the VMD logo and license ID number.
WHAT BUYING DRUGS FROM A VET GUARANTEES YOU...
** Available on request is a price list of my ten most commonly prescribed medicines for 2012 -2013**
- All our 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.
- Every time a prescription is dispensed your cats’ records have been reviewed and the prescription tailored to your cat’s unique requirements.
- Vets do not just supply drugs - they provide unlimited professional advice and support from highly trained and dedicated staff.
- Most importantly no one understands you/your cats’ veterinary needs more than your vet.
** Available on request is a price list of my ten most commonly prescribed medicines for 2012 -2013**
