"Cat Got Your Wallet?" Video

[168135]

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Came across this: http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2007/11/28/cat_got_your_wallet/

Talks about how vets can charge whatever they want for prescription drugs. It's lengthy... about 20 minutes.

Comments?

 

[PrimalMU]

That's much less of an issue here in the States. We don't have a universal healthcare system that subsidizes the cost of medications, so comparing vet prices vs non-insured pharmacy prices would be more appropriate.

One thing to keep in mind is that this is a capitalist system. For most people, veterinary costs are discretionary spending, so ideally prices are self-limiting. A veterinarian has no incentive to charge too much for medication since at a certain point many clients would decide to simply not get the meds in the first place.

Veterinary medicine really is a business, and businesses need to make a profit. However, I know that a lot of our meds are cheaper than they would be from a pharmacy, even OTC meds. We sell benadryl for less than you can get it at Walmart.

 

[Whyevernot55]

I haven't watched the video, but I do have to point out that a TON of the medicines we use are also human medicines, and a lot of the human pharmacies offer really, really cheap generics programs. Or, like Giant Eagle, free antibiotics offers. We ALWAYS offer this as an option to our clients. It's a heck of a lot cheaper to get 3 months worth of methimazole for $10 at Giant Eagle than at the clinic, because we're a small clinic and we have to charge a certain amount to cover our costs... This creates a certain level of competition for vet clinics, and incentive to keep prices low.

 

[168135]

I haven't watched the video, but I do have to point out that a TON of the medicines we use are also human medicines, and a lot of the human pharmacies offer really, really cheap generics programs. Or, like Giant Eagle, free antibiotics offers. We ALWAYS offer this as an option to our clients. It's a heck of a lot cheaper to get 3 months worth of methimazole for $10 at Giant Eagle than at the clinic, because we're a small clinic and we have to charge a certain amount to cover our costs... This creates a certain level of competition for vet clinics, and incentive to keep prices low.

In the video, it mentioned that a pharmacy marked up human prescriptions 30%. Vets marked their prescriptions anywhere from 200-450% in the same CITY. There is no law telling clinics how much they're allowed to charge. In the UK, the government did an investigation. Vet clinics there are forced to list their commonly sold medications and prices in view of the consumer so they can compare them to other clinics. Also, if a client asks for a prescription so they can take it to the pharmacy, the vet must fill it. According to the video, they don't seem to be suffering like people claim they would.

Wasn't sure if American had this problem or not... I found it on a gerbil forum where most of the members are from the states. I also kinda assumed that since they didn't mention the states in the video, that maybe they are experiencing a similar problem.

 

[david594]

In the video, it mentioned that a pharmacy marked up human prescriptions 30%.

Unlike the veterinarian, the pharmacist doesn't have to choose a medication and determine an appropriate dose and consider any counter indications or adverse reactions with other medications. The pharmacist also doesn't have to answer questions from the client about the medication after the fact which the vet does.

This is what the prescribing fee that is mentioned in the video normally covers, but the video simply ties in with the markup. So those percentages are skewed.

And regarding the $4 prescriptions, google "loss leader" and you will see why they sell them for those prices.

 

[PrimalMU]

Unlike the veterinarian, the pharmacist doesn't have to choose a medication and determine an appropriate dose and consider any counter indications or adverse reactions with other medications. The pharmacist also doesn't have to answer questions from the client about the medication after the fact which the vet does.

Uh... really? Pharmacists have to know quite a lot of pharmacology.

Pharmacists distribute prescription drugs to individuals. They also advise their patients, physicians, and other health practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications, as well as monitor the health and progress of those patients to ensure that they are using their medications safely and effectively.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos079.htm

You seem to have the same opinion about pharmacists as many people have about veterinarians. Pharmacists are professionals, with their own 4 year graduate programs.

 

[168135]

Unlike the veterinarian, the pharmacist doesn't have to choose a medication and determine an appropriate dose and consider any counter indications or adverse reactions with other medications. The pharmacist also doesn't have to answer questions from the client about the medication after the fact which the vet does.

My pharmacist generally gives me MORE information about the drug than my doctor... adverse reactions/side-effects/when and how to take the drugs. My doctor just asks me what meds I'm on, what I'm allergic to, hands me a script and tells me to come back if I don't get better. I don't know if that's the norm with everybody here, but that's the norm with me.

The pharmacology program here is very difficult to get into... not as difficult as med school/vet school, but it's still very very competative. Most of the bio undergrads at my university are pre-pharm. I know a girl who applied as a joke... her marks were excellent but she didn't get accepted because she bombed the interview.

 

[david594]

My pharmacist generally gives me MORE information about the drug than my doctor... adverse reactions/side-effects/when and how to take the drugs. My doctor just asks me what meds I'm on, what I'm allergic to, hands me a script and tells me to come back if I don't get better. I don't know if that's the norm with everybody here, but that's the norm with me.

And that is what your pharmacist is supposed to do for you as a human patient. Your pharmacist is not expected to know these details for every species for which a veterinarian can prescribe medications.

I highly doubt their education covers any of the veterinary specific drugs. Or that the meloxicam doses are different for each species that its used off label for.

If your pharmacist is not going to start giving you advice on what OTC medications you should be giving to your sick animals.

 

[dgm]

David, I understand the point you were making in your first post. But just a quick question raised by your second one... the pharmacist isn't going to even carry veterinary-specific drugs, right?

 

[david594]

David, I understand the point you were making in your first post. But just a quick question raised by your second one... the pharmacist isn't going to even carry veterinary-specific drugs, right?

I'm really have no idea on that matter. Will the major drug companies sell vet meds through non-veterinary outlets? Makes you wonder how pet-meds works it.

Maybe I should have said just the veterinary applications of human medications? As vets(in most states?) we are allowed to use pretty much anything off label in companion animals.

 

[karmapple]

I highly doubt their education covers any of the veterinary specific drugs. Or that the meloxicam doses are different for each species that its used off label for.

Not so true. It is becoming increasingly common for pharmacy schools to offer Veterinary Pharmacology classes. I know a certain pharmacist who took a couple.

Not sure if that is at all relevant to the discussion. I just like to point out when Dave is wrong. 😉

 

[david594]

Not so true. It is becoming increasingly common for pharmacy schools to offer Veterinary Pharmacology classes. I know a certain pharmacist who took a couple.

Not sure if that is at all relevant to the discussion. I just like to point out when Dave is wrong. 😉

I was hoping you would chime in. Can you help us out with what the legal liability is for a pharmacist filling prescriptions for veterinary patients? A vet screws up a dose/script and a pharmacist fills it as written, are they liable?

 

[168135]

I'm really have no idea on that matter. Will the major drug companies sell vet meds through non-veterinary outlets?

In the video, pharmacies in the UK have sections devoted to animal medications. In Quebec, one pharamist decided to start selling them that way, and the vets hate him for it. It was in the video.

 

[karmapple]

I was hoping you would chime in. Can you help us out with what the legal liability is for a pharmacist filling prescriptions for veterinary patients? A vet screws up a dose/script and a pharmacist fills it as written, are they liable?

I asked my live-in pharmacist. He said that technically, per the letter of the law, yes a pharmacist could be held liable. However, considering how few pharmacists have had extensive education on vet med, it is doubtful any jury would actually convict. This may change with time as veterinary pharm in pharmacy schools becomes more mainstream.

 

[dyachei]

In the video, pharmacies in the UK have sections devoted to animal medications. In Quebec, one pharamist decided to start selling them that way, and the vets hate him for it. It was in the video.

Vets don't actually make a whole lot of money by selling drugs in the U.S. They make more money on in-house diagnostics and office visits. In fact, many places that I have worked at here offer to write prescriptions for the owner to get filled at their pharmacist (especially the $4 drug list).

 

[PrimalMU]

Vets don't actually make a whole lot of money by selling drugs in the U.S. They make more money on in-house diagnostics and office visits. In fact, many places that I have worked at here offer to write prescriptions for the owner to get filled at their pharmacist (especially the $4 drug list).

Good point. I know a lot of the money our clinic makes is from things like Frontline, food, and vaccines. Very little money is made in medications and surgery in comparison.