Why are the drug companies screwing us?

Michael's Maggie May · Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:27 am

I have been using Comfortis for the past year. The vet charges $90 for 6 tablets, I can get it through overseas pet suppliers from anywhere from $60 to $70 and no shipping. This is the exact meds from Lilly. Why can Canadian and Australian co. get it cheaper for us? This is outrageous and I'm upset over this.We have to raise hell.

Tippsy'smom · Post by **Tippsy'smom** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:35 am

We pay $13 for 1 tablet at our vet.

Michael's Maggie May · Wed Oct 19, 2011 11:49 am

I have been using Comfortis for the past year. The vet charges $90 for 6 tablets, I can get it through overseas pet suppliers from anywhere from $60 to $70 and no shipping. This is the exact meds from Lilly. Why can Canadian and Australian co. get it cheaper for us? This is outrageous and I'm upset over this.We have to raise hell.
Michael's Maggie May

Sirchow · Post by **Sirchow** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 12:17 pm

My daughter is a vet nurse and does some of the drug ordering and I can buy my Brambles meds cheaper online than she orders it in bulk/wholesale for the vet to resell. Given the number of vets and nurses and rent etc that they have to pay it is no wonder vets are charging over the odds but I still dont understand why I can buy one box cheaper than they can buy in bulk. Something wrong there. It means that more and more of us are buying online and vets are having to put their prices up to stay in business. I suppose we should all really support our vets who we need and buy from them but if I am the only one who is doing that then I will be paying the price for everyone else not doing it. If you follow all that.

Michael's Maggie May · Wed Oct 19, 2011 5:23 pm

we pay plenty for vet visits here in the states. An annual checkup cost well over $100 and thats if nothing is wrong. Do they have to kill us with the price of drugs also?

bellachow · Post by **bellachow** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 8:30 pm

To answer the question "why are the drug companies screwing us', its because they can. The more they charge, the bigger the profit for the company and the bigger the individual excecutive bonuses. So these companies 'lobby' our senators and representatives so that that the legislation is always in their favor.

cherriemater · Post by **cherriemater** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 5:32 am

Bellachow ... oh yeah ... you said that right. I chuckled when I read that because I remember a news article about the latest "craze" by the pharmaceutical companies ... wait for it ... Health Eating Disorder. That's right ... you heard me. HEALTHY eating disorder: Orthorexis Nervosa.

http://cyndi-a.suite101.com/orthorexia- ... der-a71864

What will they come up with next??? I thought they topped themselves with *Censored Word* ... I guess I was wrong.

Ursa's daddy · Post by **Ursa's daddy** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 8:30 am

I did a quick search
http://www.nextag.com/comfortis/compare-html
I am sure you can do other searches and find addition price spreads

Michael's Maggie May · Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:33 am

Ursa's daddy wrote:I did a quick search
http://www.nextag.com/comfortis/compare-html
I am sure you can do other searches and find addition price spreads

You were right, even found it cheaper from another Australian Company, Would love to e-mail this to my vet, almost half the price.

onthemove · Post by **onthemove** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 6:42 pm

There is a very simple answer. Try suing that Australian drug company when something goes wrong. The drug companies in the US have to set aside a tremendous slush fund for lawsuits. All those ads for "bad drugs" are lawyers suing drug companies.

The vet pays more for anything he gets in medicine and equipment than the average person. He cannot sell you an Australian drug, as then he will be totally on the hook for any adverse effects, and he would be breaking the law. He must sell you drugs that are FDA approved and he must have acquired them legally.

http://www.state.mn.us/portal/mn/jsp/co ... &agency=Rx

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains that:

"Reimporting into the United States prescription drugs originally manufactured in the United States is a violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; and
Importing medications made in other countries violates the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act if the medicine is not approved by the FDA or if it does not meet all FDA approval requirements.
However, to our knowledge, the U.S. government generally does not stop individual U.S. residents from buying small amounts of prescription drugs for their own personal use, or that of a family member, and the FDA has made statements to the media that they do not plan to interfere with such small individual purchases. However, the FDA has occasionally seized packages mailed into the United States from legitimate Canadian. In these cases, the FDA usually sent a letter to the person purchasing the medication and took no other action against the purchasers. "

Michael's Maggie May · Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:43 am

These are not Australian drugs. These are the same drugs, same box, made by same people. Lilly
is the company.Then if we all get smart and buy our American made drugs from foreign countries
then I would imagine the Veternarians would raise a stink and the price should, would come down.$15 a tablet is outrageous.

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