Dangers of Ordering Pet Meds Online

[mcrv11]

I recently called our vet to have them verify to 1-800-petmeds that our dog was up to date on his examinations in order to purchase heartworm and frontline medications from 1800petmeds.com. We were told by our veterinarian that they no longer verify that information for online pet medication websites because the websites often remove UPC codes and expiration dates from the packaging prior to mailing them out to customers. This allows them to get medications from unverified sources and send out expired medication as well.

In order to protect your pet from getting expired medication or medication from an unknown source, our vet recommended that we do not order medications online. If we do order medication online, they recommend that when ordering, in the "comments" section of the order to request that they make sure the medications come with both the expiration dates and UPC codes.

 

[LeonilCraig]

There are really sites that are not good to trust, but to be sure and to protect our pets lets have a vet close to our place.

 

[Stingr69]

Really?....1-800 Pet Meds?..... Bad medicine?.....Sounds to me more like the vet wants to sell you expensive marked up medicine to keep his profits up.

I got some push back from my Vet when I asked for Sentinel and they did not carry it. The Vet was pushing something (that they did have) but it was not intended for dogs as small as mine per the manufacturer...says so right on the box!!!!. NO WAY!!! :yikes:

If you are still worried - Ask the vendor about the UPC codes and expiration dates before you buy online. I would bet you will be just fine. I have never had a bad experience with 1-800-Pet Meds.

-Mark.

 

[teacuptiger]

Yep, never had any issues with 1-800-Pet Meds either. I've been ordering from there for years.

 

[MicksMom]

Really?....1-800 Pet Meds?..... Bad medicine?.....Sounds to me more like the vet wants to sell you expensive marked up medicine to keep his profits up.

I got some push back from my Vet when I asked for Sentinel and they did not carry it. The Vet was pushing something (that they did have) but it was not intended for dogs as small as mine per the manufacturer...says so right on the box!!!!. NO WAY!!! :yikes:

If you are still worried - Ask the vendor about the UPC codes and expiration dates before you buy online. I would bet you will be just fine. I have never had a bad experience with 1-800-Pet Meds.

-Mark.

Actually, I believe it. 1-800 PetMeds was found to be doing some shady stuff years ago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PetMeds

There are some good, reliable on line places to get meds from- KV Vet, Jeffers and Drs Foster & Smith (although I won't buy from Fosters & Smith anymore because they are now the drug "department" for PetCo).

 

[Beanie]

Actually, I believe it. 1-800 PetMeds was found to be doing some shady stuff years ago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PetMeds

None of that has anything to do with selling expired meds or meds with UPC codes removed though. Also all before the company became a publicly traded company and before they were accredited.
I have heard the EXPIRED MEDS!! story before but never seen it substantiated. If they were actually dispensing expired meds, I'm fairly confident the NAPB would respond.


I buy my flea & tick topical from Amazon, but my heartworm meds all come from 1-800-petmeds. I actually started ordering there during the Novartis plant shut down by suggestion of my vet, because they were getting a few shipments and my vet wasn't getting much of anything. Never had any trouble, and actually had a situation where I sent them a request and told them to fax the RX to the wrong vet and had to call and change it. Their customer service was fantastic, very nice, and super easy to make the change and get it resolved.

 

[*blackrose]

I think the only thing I'm wary of people buying online is Trifexis. Elanco doesn't authorize the sale of Trifexis outside of a veterinary office...which means those meds were bought by a vet, then sold from the vet to the drug-selling company itself...which is shady shady shady.

 

[crazedACD]

Advantage and Frontline I know for a fact are shelf stable indefinitely, at least 5 years if not longer. There are no expiration dates on them at all.

Also, the vet absolutely cannot refuse to allow you to get the medications at a pharmacy of your choosing (within certain guidelines, accredited or something like that). If you ask they must provide you with a prescription.

 

[Brattina88]

But they can charge you a fee for writing a Rx for somewhere else

 

[sassafras]

I think the only thing I'm wary of people buying online is Trifexis. Elanco doesn't authorize the sale of Trifexis outside of a veterinary office...which means those meds were bought by a vet, then sold from the vet to the drug-selling company itself...which is shady shady shady.

Most flea and tick products are allegedly sold by the companies to veterinarians only but diverted to these pharmacies. Which doesn't make them unsafe necessarily, but it's sketchy business. For a variety of questionable practices I'm not going to belabor, I personally would never order from PetMeds, but there are several reputable online pharmacies.

What's weird to me, though, is that by the time you factor in shipping the prices are not usually significantly different from our prices. I wouldn't ever not sign a prescription, though.

 

[SizzleDog]

I get my heartworm meds online (kvvet.com) because my vet doesn't carry the kind I use. KV Vet matches the company's warranty though, and i've never gotten expired meds from them.

 

[MicksMom]

Actually, I believe it. 1-800 PetMeds was found to be doing some shady stuff years ago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PetMeds...

None of that has anything to do with selling expired meds or meds with UPC codes removed though. Also all before the company became a publicly traded company and before they were accredited...

True, but it does make you wonder about what else they might have done or be doing. I think I bought a tag holder from them a few years ago, but I'm not comfortable buying food or meds there. Then again, I also have not been able to find anyplace that has heartworm preventive cheaper than my vet anyway.

 

[Romy]

What's weird to me, though, is that by the time you factor in shipping the prices are not usually significantly different from our prices. I wouldn't ever not sign a prescription, though.

Usually if I know I'm going to need medicine ahead of time, I'll wait until there's a free shipping or % discount on the entire order promotion then buy their flea meds in bulk. With a cat and three big dogs it adds up otherwise.

 

[animalcraker]

Just as an FYI almost every manufacturer will NOT gaurentee or stand by any medicine not bought directly through your vet. So if there is a problem with the med or your pet has a reaction then your SOL. I'm not sure if PetMeds does this, but I know quite a few of the other online pharmacies will not ship certain meds in the original packaging, like Trifexis, because they aren't getting it direct from the manufacturer.

You guys may also want to ask if your vet can price match pet meds. We do at my hospital and with very few exceptions everyone has been happy with that.

 

[DogGoWoof]

Really?....1-800 Pet Meds?..... Bad medicine?.....Sounds to me more like the vet wants to sell you expensive marked up medicine to keep his profits up.

I agree with Mark here. Vets seem to do this all the time and jack the prices up to fill their own pockets. I've never had a problem ordering from places like PetCareRX and I've gotten PetPlus recently and it's been great!

 

[Ratboy]

When I was buying Vetoryl for King the last 4 years of his life, the price difference between buying it from the vet was at least (And I priced it at several places that had seen him in emergencies) and it was nearly 3X what I paid for it online from a couple of places. My regular vet said that the online price was less than he paid for it. I kind of doubt that, but he was always honest with me in every other dealings, so I kind of think he might have been telling the truth. He never had any problems with it, and every 3 months I saved about $120 versus buying it from the vet. Once we got his dose really figured out (Took a LONG time), the cost was about half what it was originally.