Riddle me this Batman?

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How is it that 100 Glipizide 10mg tablets runs around $40.00 but if I buy it off the veterinary website it only costs $14.00. Same drug, Same Manufacturer, Same dose and I don't need a prescription to buy it.

hppygr8ful said:
Also my dog is not covered on the family medical plan!

Hppy

Not sure if you were joking - - heck yes the fact that people pay cash for their pet's meds has something (something big) to do with all of this!

Insurance company shenanigans play a big role in your original question (along with many other shenanigans, of course).

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OldDude said:
Maybe it costs more to put it in the pretty, "child proof," bottle and list all the precautions and reported side effects on the box. You know, "use as directed," "this bottle is not a toy," "do not place in rectum," "this package will support combustion if subject to open flames," - you know - important stuff like that.

But I thought placing it in the rectum caused better blood sugar control.

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My cat earns more than him

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caliotter3 said:
But I thought placing it in the rectum caused better blood sugar control.

Oh no...

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

Worked for a large animal veterinarian. 1L of NS $0.89 When my child was in the ED for DKA: $500. SO many medications are used between species. My dachshund has back issues. He gets tramadol and robaxin. Less than $10 for him. When I have issues with my back and get same scripts, it is double that with insurance.

markup for vets is about 150% People, what 1000%???? Same exact medications. Isoxuprine (not sure they even use it in people anymore), robaxin, zantac, sulfa antibiotics, all used on horses. Cost pennies. And people still complained. I still have issues about fluids as I KNOW what they cost. I used to do the ordering for the large animal surgical facility that I ran

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I wonder how many people take out those pet insurance policies? If pet insurance becomes the norm, will the prices go up?

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

I ran into the exact same thing with a different med. My dog developed a seizure disorder. Of course, he had a horrible seizure event after hours and had to go to the emergency vet. Long story short they started him on Keppra which I had to fill at the local Walgreen's to the tune of $287.00. I had visions of my monthly budget going to crap keeping up that cost for potentially years.

Then I saw my regular vet. His refills there for the exact same med, literally the exact same bottle were just under $30.00. Holy crap! That's almost 10x greater cost for the exact same med for a human than it is for my dog. That's just so wrong. Speaks volumes to the issues health care has in this country.

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Specializes in Cardiovascular.

Probably costs even less in Mexico. If they can charge it and you pay it then they will continue to gouge you. Not just drugs though..I still want to know why I have to pay $35.00 for ten disposable razor blades when they make them for literally pennies--again because they can.

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hppygr8ful said:
Also my dog is not covered on the family medical plan!

Hppy

But you can put your dog/cat/human child/emu/pig/zebra on your Walgreen's family plan for $40/year. Gabapentin 300mg 400 capsules are $396 at the vet. At Walgreen's with no insurance they are $444 but with that family plan....$28!!!

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hppygr8ful said:
How is it that 100 Glipizide 10mg tablets runs around $40.00 but if I buy it off the veterinary website it only costs $14.00. Same drug, Same Manufacturer, Same dose and I don't need a prescription to buy it.

Plenty of people are willing to dump their pet on the side of the road and get a new one if the existing pet's medication costs "too much". That probably has at least something to do with it.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Infection Control/Geriatrics.

Good one!! LOL!

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
CelticGoddess said:
My daughters cat is on prozac (She has kitty ADHD and anxiety, just like her girl) and it cost us less to buy the human version (generic) than it would for our vet to order it and provide it. Things are weird like that.

Our pharmacists laughed when she saw the script. She found it amusing.

Our cat was on prozac, but giving him pills just made him nervous when he saw us. So, we had specially compounded transdermal gel formulated so we could rub it on his ear instead. That was about $150 a month 16 years ago. In our life before kids, with two incomes, we could cover that.

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