Medication Woes

I tried to refill Lily and Lola's heartworm medication prescriptions yesterday through 1-800 Pet Meds. Boy, was that a mistake. First I get a call from Bridgeville Animal Hospital telling me that Lola has not been tested for heartworm and they can't renew her prescription. I called them back and, after getting the run-around and waiting an hour for a call back, I was told that, yes, in fact, they can renew both dogs' prescriptions, but they won't confirm with 1-800 Pet Meds online or fax me the prescriptions. I have to come to the vet in person to pick them up. When I asked why this is the case, I was told "because the vet wants to discourage people from buying medication online." The woman went on to say that medications purchased from websites could be counterfeit or obtained from the "black market," so their hospital only recommends purchasing directly from them. That would be an easy decision if, say, the vet didn't charge twice what 1-800 Pet Meds charges. I then asked if they would match prices. Of course she said no, and I again asked why. I was told that they can't buy their medications in bulk, so they can't afford to sell them at such a discount. So, my only option now is to make an out-of-the-way trip to Bridgeville Animal Hospital just so I can be a good pet owner and maintain my pets' medication routines.

After my discussion with the vet tech, I decided to do some research as to whether these claims about counterfeit medications have any truth to them. What I discovered is that, while vets may have some legitimate reason for concern, as not every online pharmacy is reliable, 1-800 Pet Meds is an accredited online veterinary pharmacy by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, and there is really no reason to make it so difficult for customers to purchase from them (other than the fact that vets are losing business). It really makes me angry that policies are put in place purely to make it a hassle for me to care for my dogs in the most cost-effective way. Even if the hospital won't change their policy on approving online pharmaceutical orders, it irks me that they won't even fax the prescription to me. Their policy of making you come pick up the scrip is deliberately in place to make it inconvenient for the pet owner to order anywhere but directly from the vet. If I even had a clue where to begin going about getting this changed or revoked, I would start immediately, but I guess for now I'm going to have to grin and bear it (and maybe pay a visit to the Bridgeville TJ Maxx while I'm out to ease my sorrows).