As financial constraints continue for most households in the United Kingdom, we understand how important it is to ensure your pet is on the most appropriate, yet affordable medication possible. Below we will discuss a few ways in which you may be able to obtain cheaper medications for your pet.

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Obtaining your medication directly from your veterinary practice 

This is usually the easiest, and may be cheapest in some scenarios. If your pet is on a short-term course of medication or needs to start medication immediately, this is a very efficient method of obtaining medication. If your pet needs to start medication imminently, this is your only option without risking the welfare of your pet. 

Every time a medication is given out from the veterinary practice, there is a small dispensing fee. This fee will vary from practice to practice and will be charged for each drug. Signing up to your veterinary practices’ subscription services (such as pet health schemes) often means you can get percentage reductions on medications. If your pet is on long term medication, this can save you lots of money in the long run. 

When purchasing medication from your veterinary practice, there is no collection fee; unlike ordering online where you will have a delivery fee to pay. Your veterinary practice will normally ask for a few days, from ordering the medication to collecting the medication; but this length of time is generally quicker than delivery in the post. The length of time taken to ‘put up’ medication (prepare and package the quantity needed) will vary from practice to practice. And it will depend on whether the stock needs to be ordered or if it is already stored within the veterinary practice. 

Learn more about vet prices here.

Obtaining medicine from another veterinary practice

If your pet is on long term medication, you could call up different practices and ask for a price comparison for that specific medication. Ensure you know the name and strength of the medication. For a veterinary professional to prescribe medication, the pet must be under their care. So you will need to have a consultation with a veterinary surgeon which must be paid for. All of your pet’s medical history would also need to be sent over to the other veterinary practice in order for them to understand why the pet is on the medication and dose they are on. Practices can change the price of their medication at any time, so be sure to check each time.  

You could also take a written prescription from your vets to another veterinary practice to supply – this is legal, but not all vets will accept another vet’s written prescriptions.

Ordering from an online pharmacy or dispensary

Getting a written prescription from your veterinary professional and using this prescription to order medicines online is another option. You will pay a fee for a written prescription, and online pharmacies will charge a fee for delivery too; but it is still often cheaper this way. Many of the bigger online suppliers buy drugs in such bulk; they can afford to sell medicines more cheaply than your vet can buy them in!

Some veterinary practices will have a fee for one medication and then add on fees for extra medications; whilst other practices will have a fixed fee which you pay per prescription. If your pet is on long term medication and there are lots of different drugs they require, finding a practice which offers a reduction in cost for more than one medication would benefit you. Getting written prescriptions to last as long as safely possible for your pet is important if you are keen to save money, as you will only have to pay the prescription fee once in that time. Be aware, if your pet’s medication or dose changes, you will need to get a new prescription. 

Where to buy from:

Try to buy from online retailers that have met the Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme standard. These have to be able to demonstrate that they are selling legal, safe and effective medications. 

Where not to buy from:

It is a criminal offence to buy second-hand prescription veterinary medicines, or to buy or sell them without a prescription. It is also illegal to import them from outside the UK without a special import licence from the government. The VMD does take legal action against people found to have broken these laws; because of the risk that untested and illegal drugs can cause serious harm to animal health and welfare, or even human safety.

More about written prescriptions

In law, a written prescription for a non-controlled drug (controlled drugs are generally narcotics, antiepileptics or hormones, such as morphine, phenobarbitone, or anabolic steroids) lasts a maximum of 6 months. The prescribing vet can, however, at their discretion set a shorter time limit. For example if they think that your pet might need more frequent check ups or reassessment of their medication.

It is compulsory to have medication reviews for patients on long term medication. These reviews allow veterinary professionals to monitor the progression of disease; monitor response to treatment; adjust drug dosing; and perform medical tests that are required to administer more medication. Some drugs have different, strict requirement which must be followed to ensure the drug is metabolised by the body appropriately. These may include blood tests, urinalysis or a clinical examination only. 

Many written prescriptions include “repeats”. One repeat means that the prescription can be dispensed once, and then repeated once (so twice in total). However, most reputable online retailers will require the original paper prescription before dispensing the repeat. This is to reduce the risk of people illegally sending the same prescription to multiple dispensaries. 

In some cases, the retailer will require the original prescription first. However, prescription fraud is very common,and as a result, some practices will only issue prescriptions directly to a pharmacy. If your vet does this, then that is great – you tell them where you want to buy the medicine from, and they send the prescription directly: you don’t need to worry about it!

If you are struggling financially, discuss alternative medications with your vet

There may be alternative options that are cheaper. Your vet will want your pet to be as comfortable and healthy as possible in the long term but will not want you to be struggling financially in order to achieve this. Discussing the best option for yourself and your pet is important, as some medications are lifelong and therefore are a large financial commitment. There may be alternative medications, or other treatment options, that might not be the first choice but are likely to be effective and save you money.

There are many different ways to obtain medication for your pet

The most financially efficient method of obtaining medication will depend on how long your pet is on medication for and how many different types of medication they need. Be sure to do your research, and always talk to your vet for advice! 

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