Is it safe to purchase pet medication online? All responses/experiences welcome!?

Question

My vet has been charging me $99 per six month supply of Revolution for my two small pets (prevents heartworms & flea/tick infestation). This equates to $396 per year for both animals. I found the same medication, I think, online at Joe's Pet Meds for $55 per six month supply w/ free shipping. This would equate to a savings of $176 per year, which I think is pretty substantial. I looked into several online retailers and I thought this one looked like the most reputable although it is located in Austrailia... I know I can't be charged with a crime as this type of pet medication is available over the counter. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Guess I could mention that this is a "topical" treatment. You just drip it on the pet's skin once a month. Thanks.

Answer 1

I actually would not recommend purchasing your pets medications from online unlicensed "pharmacies".

Do NOT buy from 1-800-pet meds, Petmeds or any other online pet medication services! 1-800 pet meds is not a licensed pharamacy. It is your Vet's job to look out for the safelty of your pet. Your Vet can be held legally responsible if they write a script for 1-800 because it is VERY rare that Petmeds provides you with the correct, quality medication that you could otherwise purchase from your vet for typically around the same price. I do suggest you check out different prices through Vet offices in your area. Our Vet clinic is cheaper or as expensive as ALL the medications found on these internet companies.

Internet sites are largly unlicensed and unregulated by any state or federal agancy. Some companies, like 1-800 Petmeds, have been getting and selling products illegally. Some medications that have expired have been repackaged. Medications meant for distribution to Austrailia and other FOREIGN markets have also been obtained by these companies. Clients have received medications having instructions in a foreign language! Many of these internet companies have been prosecuted for selling COUNTERFEIT medications that are cheap medications or worse, harmful to the person or animal taking them.

Some sites buy cheap medications in THIRD WORLD countries where quality control is poor or doesn't even exist, and repackage and resell them at huge profit as licensed drugs from the United States which they certaintly are NOT. Other scams involve the numbers of tablets or medications. Drugs such as Heartguard and Frontline come in 6 or 12 counts from the manufactorer. Many consumers buy the large size thereby getting additional tablets or medications free. The internet companies don't want you to know that there are 6 and 12 packs or that you can actually get free product from your verterinarian (at my office... you purchase 6 months of Frontline and get one dose free).

Did you know that guarentees offered by the drug companies are VOID once the product is purchased over the internet by one of these companies? It's true!!

Purchasing questionable or substandard medications is not the answer- you are wasting your money and risking your pet's health.

The main question you need to ask yourself is: Is saving money worth the peace of mind of the health of you pet?

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

That's just it, you can't be sure. You could be getting a pill shaped nothing, which doesn't help and even harms your pet, or you could get something that will hurt your animal. All because you wanted to save a few bucks. Just buy it from the vet. It's not really all that much more expensive. No worries about the quality of the meds and the vet doesn't have to raise his rates to cover not getting prescription money.

Answer 4

ordering drugs online can cut costs considerably. A Consumer Reports study found that savings can reach 25% or more.
Experts say, sites that offer to sell "lifestyle" drugs such as Viagra and Propecia without a visit to your doctor's office. Those sites can charge as much as cheaper the usual cost of such drugs.

Recommended Sites:

www.ustabs.com

www.nycpill.com

Don't forget to include shipping expenses in your online prescription comparisons. Although the cost of delivery by standard mail is nominal at many sites, and free at others, it can become quite expensive if you need overnight delivery.
Generic drugs are less expensive because generic manufacturers don't have the investment costs of the developer of a new drug. New drugs are developed under patent protection. The patent protects the investment--including research, development, marketing, and promotion--by giving the company the sole right to sell the drug while it is in effect. As patents near expiration, other manufacturers can apply to the FDA to sell generic versions. Because those manufacturers don't have the same development costs, they can sell their product at substantial discounts. Also, once generic drugs are approved, there is greater competition, which keeps the price down. Today, almost half of all prescriptions are filled with generic drugs.

Recommended Sites:

www.tabscanada.com

www.opharmarcy.com

Answer 5

Pet Meds Canada

Answer 6

Revolution is prescription, which usually means the vet just has to have seen your animal within the last year to sell it to you. This probably means you will need a prescription to purchase it online, not that that should be a problem of course, your vet should just write you one.

Be extremely cautious when purchasing online, because there is a lot of crap out there - people are not above passing off convincing looking fakes of top-class products of course, even with medicines. It happens. Before you do this, I would advise ringing round vets and finding Revolution cheaper this way, they all sell at competitive prices. Or switch to Frontline or Advantage if you don't have a particular mite problem, they're just as good for fleas and cheaper.

Chalice

Answer 7

I am a vet tech (in Australia) and I know how expensive it is to buy medication for pets.

Buying products that are over the counter is safe to buy over internet.

However I wouldn't self medicate and buy prescription stuff over net unless already diagnosed by vet first.

I really hate internet sellers of vet products because often people don't understand what they are using and misuse products such as the client who put advantix on their cat and it killed it - she bought from internet.

Answer 8

We get ours from Fosters and Smith and never had any problems. And another thing we do is VET-N-PET DIRECT it comes from Australia so takes a while to get here BUT always great products no problems .We have used them both for a few years

Answer 9

Australian Pet Meds

Answer 10

I think vet tech may be right. I have heard that sometimes the pet medecine you buy over the internet is not what they say it is, and doesn't work the way it is supposed to. It's safer from your vet.