to be annoyed with my vets wanting to charge me five quid for a poxy prescription for online flea drops

[moobrain]

Surely they make enough dosh already without having to charge me just for printing a bit of paper with her signature on.

I spend a fortune there

Yes but in America you can be put to death for murder and here you will just be sent to jail. It's about the law. You expect a vet to act illegally if you ask for them to prescribe for an animal they haven't examined.

Veterinary practices provide a wide range of services including a 24-hour emergency service
And they charge a fortune for that! It doesn't need to be subsidised by prescriptions.

People who need all the other services the vet supplies shouldn't have to subsidise you getting a free prescription.

That's cheap! Mine tried to charge me £16 when i can get them online for under £5 including delivery.

So a practice provides round the clock 24 hr provision. On the assumption they are not using a dedicated out of hours service which is a completely different kettle of fish-that means that they work the whole day-say 8.30 to 6pm-then are available all night. They may be lucky and only have one call, they may be up all night going from case to case and not sleep at all. The following day they go back to work at 8.30am.... Granted very few vets work solo so that won't be every night of the week. Then along comes the weekend on call.

And you expect them to charge nothing for that too? Or "bung us a tenner, that will be fine for your emergency nighttime operation on your dog that should have been seen a week ago when we told you to bring it back for a recheck, that you didn't bring back because you might be charged for that too and of course you know better than a 5 yr trained, registered professional". Because people can get free human healthcare in the UK they have no idea how much it actually all costs. Listen to the news and the BILLIONS of pounds that circulate in the NHS, the costs for people trying to gain treatments abroad, the price for treatment when people go private.

Animals (pets) are a luxury. If you don't want to pay, then don't have them. You don't like the prices in the designer clothes shop-you don't shop there. You won't pay £10 for a bottle of wine-don't buy it. You begrudge paying for a professional vet service-don't have pets.

I would never buy a drug treatment over the counter or without my vet advice, even flea treatments.

There have been many, many, many cases of cats (and dogs) becoming very ill and often dying from incorrectly applied flea treatments, wrong treatments, or just from a reaction. I came across several papers in my last job which means I don't take any risks with flea treatment.

Plus fleas can be resistant to active ingredients by area. My vet is best placed to know who is saying which drug isn't working locally, and they regularly rotate their treatments so I get one that works. Currently fleas here are resistant to frontline.

I want someone who knows my animal, has their records and other medications in front of them, and can sell me a safe, effective treatment. Going online or circumventing this process to save money is false economy at best, dangerous at worse. And that's from someone who has a degree and Phd in drug action and design.

Drugs are dangerous. They have effects, wanted and unwanted.

All this 'Frontline doesn't work' is crap tbh. I frontline my lot (4 dogs, 3 cats) every four weeks = not a flea to be seen. Cats are outdoor cats, and the dogs galumph on the local common, on the beach and at the stables = all places where they could pick up fleas. But we haven't had a single flea this year. Frontline Combo does work if used regularly.

I buy advocate OTC in the vets. It's £30 for three medium dog sized ones.

I don't know if that includes a prescription charge or not, I never realised they charged for prescriptions.

Fleas are definitely resistant to frontline where I live.

Desert mum. Flea resistance is well known. It's not crap.

I did point out it varies from region to region. It may be fleas are responsive where you are, but they may become resistant eventually.

Frontline is pure crap now.

My vets refuse to sell it and sells advocate/advantage instead. It used to work but not anymore. Flea resistance is not crap, it's the truth.

Which reminds me, I need to go get more.

Bloody hell....we pay $60 here! (30gbp give or take)

would this save money? if a vet local to you was a member?

Ireally you are not paying a prescription charge. To buy it elsewhere people have to have a prescription from a vet as it is a POM-prescription only medicine. The online company are not allowed to retail it to anyone without a prescription from their vet-similar to how a pharmacy won't dispense you certain drugs without a prescription from the doctor. The issue here is that OP objects to having to pay a mere £5 for the piece of paper that allows her to buy the treatment at a lower price elsewhere-despite the fact that that paper is a legal requirement and effectively says-I, as a professional vet, have this animal in my care and in my opinion it is safe and correct to use Advocate flea treatment on it.

Flea resistance to Frontline is a real thing and is become more and more common. Flea resistance to previously affective treatments isn't something new and this is why new drugs type are being developed all the time.

Every time I sign a prescription if I do it incorrectly I put my livelihood and career on the line, would you do that for a fiver.
Yes it happens vets get struck off for false certification and actually it is a lot swifter and more direct than with doctors.
I had some one who I had sent a final reminder to about an unpaid bill after 5 months seeing their pet accuse me of it being all about the money. Do you know what if it was all about the money I wouldn't have seen your pet if you couldn't pay.