Pets are a fantastic addition to any family. They provide companionship, love, and laughs in abundance, but it all comes at a price.
Every year, the American public spends around $100 billion on their pets, and $30 billion of that goes toward veterinary care.
Are you one of those people who is putting off giving their pet the medicine they need because they can’t afford to pay for it? Fortunately, there are ways to save on prescriptions for your best friends and ensure they stay healthy and well-cared for.
Here’s the drill.
Save Money on Prescriptions With Pet Insurance
Pet insurance is a literal lifesaver when it comes to major veterinary procedures for dogs. Most pet insurance covers accidents and serious illness, but not all policies include cover for medications.
It’s a good idea to consider buying a comprehensive, all-inclusive policy for your pet as soon as possible. This type of extensive cover is expensive and it’s frustrating to pay high monthly premiums for pets that never seem to need any extra care.
So, if you don’t have insurance, you need to investigate other ways to find cheap medication for your animals.
How to Save on Prescriptions With Your Veterinarian’s Help
Like doctors, veterinarians have a deep concern for their patients and will do anything to help them. So, speak to your vet about your financial concerns.
Unlike the Facebook brigade, they won’t tell you that you shouldn’t have a pet if you can’t afford veterinary care.
There are several ways your veterinarian can help you save, such as:
Free Samples
Vets sometimes get free samples of medications from pharmaceutical reps. These are often new varieties of medication for common animal ailments.
Your vet might have a dose or two of suitable alternative medication for your pet in their stash of free stuff.
Human Equivalents for Animal Ailments
Several medications are equally effective for both human and animal illnesses and injuries. Penicillin is one of them and there are many others.
Ask your vet if there’s an alternative medication available at the pharmacy that you could use instead of the one they’ve prescribed.
Sometimes an over-the-counter remedy might even help your pet’s condition. It could take a little longer to see results, but it will help.
Many veterinarians are also on board with some tried-and-tested home remedies for pets. It’s better to get their guidance before trying these methods than by experimentation.
Also, some products intended for human use are toxic to animals, so always check first.
Generic Medicines
As patents on brand name medications expire, generic equivalents are coming onto the market.
These varieties of common medications have the same active ingredient as the original and the same effects. They’re only cheaper because the manufacturer didn’t have to pay for all the research involved in developing a new drug.
Written Pet Prescriptions
If there’s no cheaper alternative available direct from the source, ask your vet if they’ll give you a written prescription for your pet medications so you can source a more affordable supplier.
For convenience’s sake, most veterinarians have their own stocks of animal medications. Yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t get the same medications elsewhere.
Save on Prescriptions By Shopping Online
When you have a prescription to hand, you can shop for the best pet meds online, including those human equivalents mentioned above.
You can get specific pet medications from Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (Vet-VIPPS) too.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy vets and approves these sites. That means they comply with state and federal quality assurance and licensing requirements.
Shopping online for your medicines brings several benefits.
Reputable online pharmacies can offer cheaper prices since they have small operational expenses. Also, Canada-based pharmacies can get drugs for far cheaper prices than those in the USA.
It’s legal to buy drugs online from Canadian pharmacies nowadays.
Most online pharmacies also offer coupons and allow you to compare prices before you buy. This way, you can find the best deal at a glance.
Get a Prescription Drug Card From Your Pharmacy
You can save on all your prescriptions if you sign up for a loyalty card at your pharmacy. You’ll get points that are redeemable for savings on all your purchases, access to special offers, and savings on repeat prescriptions.
This is also convenient since the pharmacy saves all your information, so you don’t have to fill in any paperwork on every visit.
Look For Coupons
Browse the company website of the drug manufacturer in search of coupons. Manufacturers publish these coupons to encourage customers to purchase medications from them instead of the competition.
You can print these and redeem them at your pharmacy or use the coupon code when shopping online.
Try Your Local Veterinary College
If there’s a vet school in your town you could get cheaper medications from them. Some of these colleges have onsite compounding pharmacies and dispensaries.
Since you’re cutting out the middleman, you can enjoy considerable savings when you buy pet medications from these outlets.
Make the Best Choices For Your Pet
Pets should only bring joy and enjoyment to your life. Don’t let worries about their health tarnish that relationship or consider getting rid of your pet for financial reasons.
Rather try all these ways to save on prescriptions before you resort to drastic measures or end up in a financial bind.
For more good advice on how to make the best lifestyle decisions keep browsing our reviews.
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