When it can feel like you’re being bombarded with advertisements for online veterinary pharmacies, you may begin to wonder, “Are the prices really better than my own vet?” “Would it be easier to have my pet’s prescription mailed to me rather than having to pick it up?” As with most things in life, online pharmacies aren’t always as great as they may seem.
FDA regulators have documented multiple unscrupulous practices related to the sale of unapproved and counterfeit pet drugs. They have also found online pharmacies dispensing prescription drugs without a prescription and selling expired drugs. The Center for Veterinary Medicine is mostly concerned about the purchase of NSAIDs such as Deramaxx and Metacam and heartworm preventatives without involvement by veterinarians, as the unsupervised use of these medications can not only be dangerous but fatal.
In addition to the potential dangers, the prices offered by online pharmacies are not always the best. In fact, most times we have received prescription requests from such websites, our prices have been markedly lower. We are also happy to mail medications to any of our established clients if they prefer.
Source: DVM Newsmagazine