Getting your pet meds at a human pharmacy

[marko]

Hi members!

Often, when we buy meds for ourselves and compare that same medication for our pets, the price difference is astronomical. Given that the active ingredient is in lower concentrations, this price difference makes no sense EXCEPT to give the drug's manufacturer and (possibly) the vet (depending on the Vet's markup) more profit.

I just heard that a Costco Pharmacy in Montreal will accept a pet's prescription and save you loads of cash.

The med in question was Celebrex and the Costco pharmacist was able to crush down a larger dose of pills and weigh out the appropriate dose for a dog's weight.

Anyone else ever do this and opinions of this?

Thx!

[Barkingdog]

I lives the states and with the cost of gas being almost $4.00 per gallon going to Costco would not save me $$$. That is great it works for you. I did buy Marty some pet med at CVS for his dog bite.

[marko]

that's what i wanted to know actually.

So CVS (pharmacy chain in the USA) will accept a pet's prescription without issue? I think that's way way cool - how long have they been doing that?

Any other members have similar experiences?

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by marko

that's what i wanted to know actually.

So CVS (pharmacy chain in the USA) will accept a pet's prescription without issue? I think that's way way cool - how long have they been doing that?

Any other members have similar experiences?

I am not sure how long CVS been doing that , as I go to Rite Aide . I had to go to CVS because they're the only one open 24 hours. Rite Aide will fill pet meds too but they took over's Brook's Drug 2 years ago so I can't say how long Rite Aide been doing this. Sorry I could not tell how long

[marko]

This is GOOD news!!

The more the word gets out that this is possible, the lower the price will become.

Now I'm way curious if this policy is widespread in Canada - Calling Jean Coutu (Quebec pharmacy chain) shortly.

Actually I just called - seems ANY pharmacy in Quebec will fill a vet's prescription - way cool.

Thx!

[sugarcatmom]

Aztec even has his own "profile" at the pharmacy (London Drugs). The pharmacists there are fabulous and totally interested in his care and how he's doing. Whenever I go in, they ask if I'm picking up for me or for Aztec (and almost seem disappointed when it's just something for me ).

[Reg]

Hi Marko:
Maybe I can help shed a wee bit of light on this subject, from what I have learned
.
A few years back I had to get prescriptions for Missy and the prices were exhorbitant.

Per chance I happened to be talking to a pharmacist who is a friend, and mentioned to him what had happened. He requested the product to have a look at it. After studying it, he said that he could have filled the prescription for about a fifth the price.

On further conversations with him over a period of time, I found out that his license covered him to do prescriptions for animals.

Just recently I've been in to our pharmacy, where we now live, firing questions at one of the pharmacists in regards to cutting supplements in order to administer them to the cats. He in turn put me in touch with another pharmacist on the floor, who he said was qualified to do animal prescriptions.

That's when I found out that when it comes to certain prescriptions that have to be made up for a specific problem and animal size, that this pharmacist is qualified to do veterinary medications. He normally covers the majority of prescription drugs for the different offices in the area.

In the last town where we lived, our pharmacist friend told us that in the future if we were ever needing to have a prescription filled for an animal given to us by a vet, to bring it to him and he could fill it.

Most of the veterinary offices have only the capacity to dispense medications that are already pre-made by the pharmaceuticals and they just sell them through their dispensaries. They normally don't have a licensed pharmacist on staff or on duty to make anything special up.

I'll be talking to our pharmacist within the next week and I'll try to get some clarifications - how the prescriptions work, in regards to getting them filled at the drugstore. And if seniors can get them under any drug plan they might have. That might also apply to folks who might be on a disability plan or something. Perhaps the animal can be classed as a "dependant". Who knows? Worth looking into ???????????