Do prescriptions for the same drug cost the same price for animals as humans, and why?

Answer 1

I work for a pharmaceutical company that makes drugs for people and one drug for dogs which has the same strict quality standards as the human drugs.

I think the price is complicated. For human drugs, a lot of people have insurance that pays for prescriptions, so pharmacies can charge anything for them. On the other had, most pet owners do not have pet insurance, so they will have to be reasonably priced so that pet owners will be willing to buy them. But if it is the exact same drug, a pharmacy is going to charge the same amount whether it is for a person or an animal.

Answer 2

Depends on the drug and the dose needed. Drugs intended for human comsumption will be more costly because the pharmaceutical companies know that some health plan may pay for it and to underwrite any liability if the drug causes some harm.

If you lose your dog because of the drug failing to do what it was supposed to do, the court will most likely give you restitution of the cost of the animal which is relatively small as compare to pain and suffering the court could award someone for the same affliction.

On the other hand, I remember when there was a story about a sick whale beaching itself. Vets were called in and they ordered what amounts to a 1000 human pills 4 times a day for a week to treat the ailing whale. That aint cheap.

Answer 3

Depends on which country you live in. If you have a public health service, some prescriptions will cost more for animals that humans - some public medicine is subsidised by the government - they generally don't subsidise animal medicine, therefore cost of Rx is higher.

Answer 4

yes they are, it is a price set by the company that makes the drugs, this is the price that the purchaser pays.. ie the doctor or the vets etc... now, that isnt to say that the vet or pharmacy wont charge you twice as much.. but the cost from the manafacturer is the same wether you are an animal or a person.

Answer 5

(all drugs in the US have to go throught the FDA for approval. and it is not less quality controlled than human drugs.)

a reason i can think of for price differences is marketing--what dollar amount is a person willing to pay for this drug and why, or whether the drug is still protected by a patent--brand name versus generics (big pharma LOVES to stick it to us there...).

FYI: only a veterinarian may prescribe human drugs for animal use; a medical doctor may not prescribe drugs to animals.

Answer 6

Often prescriptions for animals are cheaper because they do not go through the strict quality control that pharmaceutical prescriptions for humans do. So it's they are cheaper to manufacture.

Answer 7

FDA standards for human medicine are very stringent, so they are expensive to make and therefore more costly.