Pet Prescriptions

There is good news for pet owners who need to purchase prescription drugs for their pets. Dogs, especially, are being given up because their owners can’t afford to feed them. Cats and dogs are also being left at shelters because their owners can’t afford the vet bills or sometimes the monthly prescription costs.

I contacted Costco’s corporate headquarters, explained this sad situation, and asked if they could carry more prescription drugs for pets at a low cost. Costco now sells about 100 of the most-prescribed drugs for cats and dogs. A friend in Solvang took her dog to the vet. She was told the prescription the dog needed for life was going to cost over $300 per month. She phoned Costco and it was $26, so she asked her vet to fax the prescription to Costco. One does not need to be a Costco member in order to buy prescriptions drugs from their stores.

When talking with a humane society volunteer about the above, she told me she has received complaints from pet owners who told her that their vets refused to give them the prescription for their pet to be purchased elsewhere at a lower price. I phoned Gov. Brown’s office, told them I would like to know if these veterinarians are breaking the law. The Governor’s office transferred me to the Veterinarians Association. According to them, vets who refuse to give a client an Rx are breaking the law (Business and Professional Code article 12, 4170 [a] (6)(7).

If this happens to your readers, one can phone a consumer group or obtain a complaint form at vmb.ca.gov. In my opinion, vets selling drugs is a conflict of interest. We humans aren’t required to buy our prescriptions from MDs. Fortunately, there are plenty of vets around, so if a vet does not comply with the law, we have others to go to.