1-800-PetMeds

[87Ford]

Wondering if anyone uses this online pet pharmacy?

I thought I'd save a little money and order Trifexis for my dogs online through PetMeds.  I have a friend that purchases the Trifexis for his dog this way and has had no problems dealing with them or with the product itself.

The problem I ran into is that my vet refused to give me or PetMeds the prescription.  I called my vet and they were quite defensive and told me that Trifexis is exclusive to veterinarians and that third parties weren't supposed to have it or be selling it.  It seemed odd to me that my friend's vet had no problem giving PetMeds the prescription, yet my vet refused.

Next, I called Elanco, the manufacturer of Trifexis, directly and spoke to a customer rep who confirmed what my vet had told me, that third party online pharmacies should not have the drug and should not be selling it.  She went on to say that Elanco tries to stop these online pharmacies from selling their product when they can, but some of them, like PetMeds are big and "tricky" about how they acquire some of the drugs.  She also said that they can't back their products sold from these outfits and that for sure, some of the products are questionable with different packaging and so forth.

Just seems odd that some vets are ok with it, yet some are not.  I also discovered that PetMeds is a VIPPS (Verified Internet Pharmacy Site) accredited business..

After all this I plan to just play it safe and continue buy Trifexis from my vet. 

[Widgeondeke]

I purchase flea & tick meds from them on occasion. it is definitely cheaper and the discounts grow with quantity, just that sometimes we forget to order it in advance. it takes 7-10 days to arrive.

That being said. We also found that some of the Rx food only available through a vet is a sham. 
Hill's Prescription Diet is a trademarked name, nothing special. We found this out after doing research. We were paying more than double for our cats Uretic food. Plenty of other options for much less.

[BD1]

I use them for some meds for my dog...at my door usually in about 48 hours or so...good prices too. 

[skipjack]

I would check Costco prices to.... We get our pets medicine there and a friend told me he gets that brand flea stuff there to..

[87Ford]

I would check Costco prices to.... We get our pets medicine there and a friend told me he gets that brand flea stuff there to..

I thought about Costco too, but the problem is that my particular vet won't give me or any online pharmacies a prescription for my dogs and Trifexis is a prescription med.  Right or wrong, I'm forced to buy from them..

[WRL]

I'd be more concerned about giving my dog Trifexis.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/grieving-animal-lovers-blame-pet-drug-for-killing/26613441

WRL

[87Ford]

I'd be more concerned about giving my dog Trifexis.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/grieving-animal-lovers-blame-pet-drug-for-killing/26613441

I have NO concerns with giving my dogs Trifexis.  It was recommended by my vet and my older Lab has been on it for over five years with no issues.  I think it is a great product.  As I posted above I'm interested in what people think about online pharmacies, specifically PetMeds.  Elanco couldn't tell me where PetMeds acquired their inventory of Trifexis.  Hence, I will continue to purchase it from my vet, even though it is more expensive.

[BD1]

A vet that won't provide a scrip to petmed is shadey in my book just my.2/pennies

[BD1]

After some thought...maybe "shady" is a little strong...I guess I would wonder why? Is it because they (PetMed) sell an inferior product that could harm the dog (if so let me know please) or is it the loss of revenue for the vet, who in some cases jack up prices of meds for their own profit? If it was the latter I would take my business elsewhere...but that is me. On a side note, I have no knowledge of the meds you are talking about...best of luck 
I just know I give PetMed 5 stars from my experience.
BD1

[JJD]

Interesting issue.  Is heartworm showing up over there on the coast now?  Why else would you use it? 
Where I am, there are no fleas (I have no idea why) and no Heartworm.  I use Top Spot for ticks for the short time that they are a problem and buy it over the counter.

A very good friend is a DVM.  He contends that DVM's will make their $$ one way or another.  They have a pile of $$ into education and will recover it or do something else.
A) you can charge big $$ for your time.
B) charge Big $$ for your meds as it costs to keep the stuff in stock while you wait for someone who needs it.
C) Balance the charges between the two.

One of my dogs is on an anti-seizure med.  The price of that med just about doubled 2 months ago, I checked with my friend who is not local and he said yup, a lot of meds took a big jump.  Sad we are being gouged cuz they can.

[BD1]

All very true...I don't mind paying for their time...but if I can get the same quality med for less then it is a no brainer for me

[SnakeEyes]

Vets have a business to run and need to make a profit. A local Vet or any local business is going to have much more overhead than an online business in some other state or country who deals in much higher volume of product. I would give the business to my local vet who I trust with my loved ones and charges a fair price to stay in business.

[JJD]

All very true...I don't mind paying for their time...but if I can get the same quality med for less then it is a no brainer for me

Then expect the price of their "time" to increase.  Most DVM's would probably prefer that as stocking cost and dealing with inventory is a pain in the drain.
I prefer dealing with it as it is, if the drug is not over OTC.  If my dog has some sort of infection, I don't want to have to wait for an antibiotic to show up in the mail.

[Firedogg]

JJD, your vet should be willing to write the prescription for your dog's seizure medicine and then you can get it filled at a regular pharmacy. Mine did that for my lab telling me it was much cheaper than what he could sell it to us for and it also eliminated him having to do all the DEA drug paperwork on it.

[BD1]

Like I said before...I don't mind paying for the "Time" same as for a human doctor, etc. However I don't see it as my duty to pay more for a daily medication for my dog...one that is nearly 1/2 the price through PetMeds to show my support To each their own I guess.

[JJD]

 :tup

Like I said before...I don't mind paying for the "Time" same as for a human doctor, etc. However I don't see it as my duty to pay more for a daily medication for my dog...one that is nearly 1/2 the price through PetMeds to show my support To each their own I guess.

agreed

[Special T]

Many people try and save $. Its normal and part of keeping all parties honest. I can think of many things I would buy online and not think twice. The last time I tried to purchase a part for my craftsman rider mower they would have to order it in. Well if I got to wait I might as well save half.
Products that require a service are much harder to seperate and cause all kinds of problems. Case in point. My mechanic will rarely install parts he doesnt buy. Is it the 10% markup? Not really. But when he recieves the wrong part and has to hustle the right part how does he cover his time? Make you do it? It could have been the parts co or it could have been you. Afterall hes the mechanic not you.
Perhaps a better comparison.  My chiropractor wants to go all cash no insurance. He wants to just get paid for his time. Its a service to you to deal with all the shysters in insurance that he has to cover. He has to charge More for the same time just to get your/my business. He is in the exact opposite situation as you! All he wants is his time and not the rest of the hastle.

If you took your animal to the vet because it needed imediate attention and the vet didnt have all the supplies to handle it wouldnt you be mad? I would.

[et1702]

The vet I use will typically match the PetMeds price of prescription meds I get for my dogs (if I remember to ask each time).

Might want to find another vet?

ET