One of the most common complaints that people have about keeping pets is the cost of veterinary bills. The majority of owners understand that there is no NHS for animals, so expect there to be a charge of some kind for their pet’s treatment. But because we don’t pay directly for our own healthcare in this country, the true cost of medication can come as a bit of a surprise to some people. Here we will explore the reasons behind some of those costs.
Table of contents
The cost of licensing the drugs
Vets legally have to follow something called ‘the cascade’ when deciding what medication they should prescribe for your pet. First of all, they should try and prescribe medication that is licensed for the species they are treating and the condition the animal is suffering from.
For veterinary medicines to be licensed in this way they will have undergone rigorous trials which cost money to run. These trials ensure the safety, quality and effectiveness of the product. It can take as long as 5 to 11 years for the product to be fully analysed and reach the market. So it is an expensive process.
Only if no licensed product exists then a vet is allowed to prescribe a veterinary drug that is licensed for use in another species
This is often the case for exotic animals where we know the drug is appropriate to use. But the manufacturer has not obtained specific licenses for that species (usually for financial reasons rather than safety ones). For example, if a chinchilla requires pain relief medication it is acceptable to prescribe it a drug that is licensed for use in dogs, as no chinchilla licensed alternative exists.
If no veterinary medicine exists, only then vets are allowed to prescribe human medications, at animal specific doses
Whilst some generic human drugs may be cheaper than the veterinary licensed alternatives, vets are simply not allowed to prescribe them in this way. We understand it can be frustrating when a vet prescribes an antibiotic licensed for use in dogs that is much more expensive than a human equivalent; but that’s the rules of the cascade. It is worth bearing in mind that the reason some human medication is cheaper is that the human market is much greater than the pet one. This brings costs down (though most of the time we receive medication through the NHS anyway).
So in summary, licensing of the medication for veterinary purposes increases the costs of these drugs above what you might expect to pay for some human equivalents.
Online retailers vs veterinary practices
Many people complain that they can buy their veterinary drugs cheaper online. Pharmacies exist on the internet all selling the same sorts of products that your vet sells. The difference is that these pharmacies have the space to keep much larger quantities of all these drugs. As well as being able to sell them in bulk to customers all across the country. Compare this to your average small veterinary practice operating out of a converted building with limited storage.
Online pharmacies also don’t have the same overheads that a veterinary practice has. They don’t have anywhere near the same staff and building and equipment costs to cover. Put simply, they can often afford to sell their drugs a lot cheaper by storing and buying in bulk. As well as by having minimal overheads. And, sadly, it’s illegal for a vet to buy stock for resale from a retailer. Even though the online dispensaries and pharmacies often sell the drugs more cheaply than the vet can buy them. Vets are only permitted to purchase through licensed wholesalers.
You will still need to have a written prescription from your vet to access any prescription medications that your pet requires. Most vet’s charge a fee for this service, to cover their time and expertise. In some cases, the cost of this written script might cancel out any savings you would have made with the online pharmacy. So it’s worth doing a price check first.
The cost of running a veterinary practice
Any markups that are applied to a drug by the veterinary practice do not usually generate much in the way of profit. This mark-up and/or dispensing fee will go on to cover the costs of running the veterinary hospital. This includes paying all of the staff. Despite public perceptions, small animal vets earn on average £46k per year. Comparatively low to many other professions with the same amount of training. And usually quite a lot less than that unless they are practice owners or senior staff. The fee also includes covering the rent or mortgage on the building, the utility bills (such as heating, lighting, telephone, internet etc) and the upkeep of hospital equipment. Running a veterinary practice is expensive.
The size of your pet
How large your pet is will make a difference to your bill; not all owners consider this when purchasing a dog. A Great Dane or German Shepherd dog will require much larger doses of antibiotics and painkillers. And even things like their routine worming and defleaing. This will increase the cost greatly compared to owning a terrier or toy breed, making vet drugs seem expensive to these owners.
Pet insurance
If you have concerns about unexpected veterinary bills then it’s well worth considering pet insurance. Even more so for some of the breeds that are more likely to need veterinary attention during their lifetime. Such as the brachycephalic breeds like bulldogs and pugs. This can be a big help especially if your dog needs long term medications.
Hopefully, we have helped to shed some light on where costs arise from and why veterinary medicines cost what they do. However, vets do understand that finances can be a big concern to some owners. They will always be happy to discuss all the options available to your pet as well as provide an estimate on costs for you. So don’t be frightened to discuss it from the very start if you are worried.
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Discussion
Surely, in order to properly address the disparity of excessively high costs is to provide veterinary practices with a fair and level playing field at the initial stage of purchasing drugs from wholesalers.
Whilst I fully understand all the reasons stated for the mark up in cost, a differential that may rise above 200% for a like-for-like product (vets vs online pharmacy) is mind-blowing.
Wherever possible, I will support my local family run veterinary practice, whilst acknowledging they effectively have had their hands tied for far too long in terms of their purchasing power.
Continuing to accept the status quo of the current ‘traditional business model’ is perhaps at the root of the problem.
In consideration of the issue at hand it is also worth making note of the role of insurance companies to better understand the current business model and to evaluate where profits are made.
There obviously needs to be reform, requiring a collective voice, stronger unity and action in protecting what we value as our traditional veterinary services.
Ultimately, pet owners/service users need to work together with veterinary practices within an environment of fairness, understanding and transparency.
Just paid £35 for pain relief for kitten which is retailing fir £6.99 online.
And the practice probably can’t even BUY it at £6.99!
Which btw had to be ordered in so not stocked in house 🤷
There is no acknowledgement that people pay additionally for the services received, bloods, check ups, ops etc, not free and just meds to pay for! I don’t see how what youve said justifues the massive mark ups. Just paid £42 for a bottle of malaseb when I get it for £17 online.
Because the traditional business model is that the other services are cross subsidised: in other words, they are billed out at less than the cost to the practice, because medicines sales help to cover the bills.
The alternative model, of more expensive consultations or procedures and cheaper medicines, has rarely been tried, because no small practice is ever going to be able to compete on price for drugs with the giant online retailers. In addition, there are concerns that raising the consultation fee will discourage people from seeking veterinary attention and advice in the first place.