Harlan Animal Hospital

Internet Pharmacies:

 

What You Should Know About Internet Pharmacies

Price:
Internet Pharmacies are not always the cheapest source for medication. In addition, some medications are temperature sensitive and require next day or 2nd day air delivery, which adds to the cost. Prescriptions sometimes need a signature on delivery, so you need to be home to receive the shipment. According to a news story by Channel 5 News, WCVB Boston, "In all but one case the medication purchased from the veterinarian was less expensive" than the Internet pharmacy.

Rebates:
Our veterinary practice also passes on manufacturers' promotions and/or rebates and these frequently result in greater savings. These rebates are not usually available from online stores or catalogs.

Convenience:
Using an Internet pharmacy means a delay in getting your medication. It typically takes 1-2 days for the online pharmacy to contact us and process the prescription, then there's a 2-5 day shipping time.

 

Insurance:
Pet Insurance companies require that all prescriptions be FDA approved. If you have pet health insurance you may be reimbursed on medications when purchased from a legal online pharmacy. You will be required to provide a copy of your veterinarian's prescription order and a copy of the internet pharmacy's invoice. When you purchase a prescription from our hospital there is no additional paperwork. Your hospital office call along with any prescription is all itemized on one invoice for easy submission to your insurance company.

Guarantee:
Pharmaceutical manufactures will only honor product guarantees when the medications are prescribed by and purchased from the pet's veterinarian. Internet and mail-order catalogs, do not qualify for these guarantees.

Safety:
Any prescription medication purchased from our hospital has been inspected and approved by the FDA, and manufactured and packaged according to U.S. government regulations. Medications purchased online may have been purchased outside the United States and have different strengths and labeling than U.S. products. Sometimes you can tell by checking the label. If approved by the FDA, it should say, "Caution: Federal Law restricts this drug to be used by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian". Do not use products that do not have this warning or if the label has been removed.

 

Education:
Every week representatives from companies like Bayer, Pfizer, Novartis, Merial, and others visit our office. These representatives have access to the latest data and research, and are a valuable source of up-to-the-minute information. In addition, our staff regularly attends veterinary conferences and reads the latest veterinary medical journals and research papers. We stay up-to-date on the latest disease trends in our region and stay abreast of recent advances in veterinary medicine. However, our first source of information about products and treatment protocols are the pharmaceuticals representatives. Because we offer a full-service dispensing pharmacy on site, these folks make a point of visiting our hospital frequently.