Vet added 100% markup for prescriptions we can source ourselves - how is that OK ?

[MAC]

My wife decided she didn't like the vet we were taking our cats to and took them to another place friday.

Both of our cats take thyroid meds that has to be made into a gel that you put in their ears. They told her they would order the next round of meds and charge our card when it shipped. She figured they were just being nice.

The package shows up saturday with a receipt showing $130, billed to the vet. My wife just checked our credit card statement and the vet charged us $260. I just called them and they said thats standard markup.

Are these people on drugs ? With the old vet we would order it ourselves and pay about $120 shipped for the same supply.

[STOICH]

So, they didn't tell you the cost and you didn't ask the cost? And this is at a new vet you've never been to before?

[MAC]

My wife asked all about the charges for the exams and bloodwork - all of that was within a few dollars of the other place. So she didn't suspect they were running a scam on prescriptions. Again, she thought they were just being nice and that maybe they got a small kickback from the pharmacy by doing it that way. But we got 100% markup and an attitude when she called to complain.

[STOICH]

Prescription markups vary widely, so I'm not surprised by the mark up. Don't see anything wrong here. Just as much as the new vet should of noted a price, your wife should have asked.

But, if it were me, I'd find another vet since their mindset might be on money more than the care of animals.

[MAC]

Well, I just spoke to the Dr. myself and he said he won't "allow us" to bring his script to any other pharmacy. So I told him that he wouldn't be seeing us again.

[thescirocco.com]

I'd say most vets are all about the money... A 100% markup is getting into drug dealer mark-ups.

I found an awesome vet in Newark, and it'll probably pay off to travel to Newark, DE ~45 minutes and see him. I called every vet in the area, to see how much they would charge for all his shots, and he was almost half as much. He doesn't have receptionist, or vet techs, it's just him, which is how he can be so inexpensive. He also owns the building, and he used to own the land where they built Suburban Plaza.

I hope I never need to go to VCA Animal Hospitals, they were by far the most expensive, and will not treat a sick dog.

Dr. Mayer is open from 9:30-noon Monday through Friday, and no appointments are needed.

I took Hund there, and when I was buying Frontline and Heartguard, he said that you don't want a whole package, since your dog is still growing. I'm like OK... As he breaks off a few pieces, and divides the price by how many units were included.

I was flabbergasted, I wasn't used to this kind of treatment... Usually you have to buy a full package...

His info:

Dr. Art Mayer - (302) 368-5176
1024 Elkton Road
Newark, DE 19711

[Jman5000]

Meh. It's a profit margin, not a scam. Countless things in life we gladly buy have huge profit margins and because we're not aware, we're fine w/it.

My vet matches web prices, or at least gets really close. I figure why not move the product through the place that treats my dogs.

[MAC]

Funny how some of you feel this is ok. Its $130 for a 60 day supply for 2 cats - so its $780 from the other pharmacy per year. This guy just expects us to pay $1560 because he says so.

By the way - the human equivalent of this drug falls into the lowest bracket of our medical insurance formulary. Its been on the market for like 20 years. If I needed a 60 day supply for myself it would cost me $10.

[Jman5000]

Funny how some of you feel this is ok.

A business is trying to sell a product (albeit a commodity) at a high profit margin. What's not "ok"?

Its $130 for a 60 day supply for 2 cats - so its $780 from the other pharmacy per year. This guy just expects us to pay $1560 because he says so.

What is That's this vet's price for the product. If you don't like the price, there are alternatives to source it.

By the way - the human equivalent of this drug falls into the lowest bracket of our medical insurance formulary. Its been on the market for like 20 years. If I needed a 60 day supply for myself it would cost me $10.

My vet has called in scripts for drugs like standard antibiotics to my "human" pharmacy. I've had to pay cash, but human prices not veterinary medicine prices.

[MAC]

My vet has called in scripts for drugs like standard antibiotics to my "human" pharmacy. I've had to pay cash, but human prices not veterinary medicine prices.

We can get it in pill form from a human pharmacy and cut it into eights (really tough), but it makes them puke. My wife called around when this first started and couldn't find a human pharmacy that would make the gel in the syringes.

I have no problem paying vet prices for whatever they stock - usually they all have prescription pills on hand. If we walk out with it that day, fine. But when you're adding 100% for making a phone call, thats robbery. And to say you won't allow your script to go somewhere else is just downright arrogance.

[thescirocco.com]

One thing you are forgetting is, there's already a mark-up with the lower price, and then he's charging twice as much, over the lower price with a reasonable mark-up.

I'm not trying to dictate what profit margin people should make, but the ones that mark-up, ontop of a mark-up, won't be in business long.

Myself, I'll only do business with people, that have reasonable profit margins.

I've based my business model on it...

[sakigt]

Well, I just spoke to the Dr. myself and he said he won't "allow us" to bring his script to any other pharmacy. So I told him that he wouldn't be seeing us again.

Depends on the state, but usually this is illegal.