prescription from vet

[Marielle]

We are thinking of moving permanently to live in France in the next couple of years. We already have a house and spend 12 weeks there summer and winter. However, our dog is ill and suffers from Cushing's Disease, diabetes and has liver problems. He has meds here, which I get online with a vet's prescription, because it's less than half the price charged by my vet. Can anybody tell me if the procedure is the same in France, and, if so, could you recommend an online pharmacy? I'm not sure if vets will issue prescriptions in France or if I would have to buy his meds direct from them.

Thanks in advance.

[pitway]

In the absence of any replies so far, yes vets here do issue prescriptions, I just go along to the vet with it when I need more pills. I have not tied an online drug supplier as the pills my little mut has are only 15 euros. Mrs P did look online once but found them no cheaper. It is a long time since I have used a vet in the UK but when I came here I always felt they charge a lot less than the UK

[Marielle]

Thanks for your reply, pitway.

My little dog has 3 different meds daily and need syringes and testing strips for his diabetes as well. Full price from my vet here in UK would cost me £220 a month for the medication, plus £15 for syringes and £26 for test strips. I can buy the lot online around £115 even though I have to pay my vet to write the prescription. The problem is that UK pet pharmacies will only deliver to UK addresses. I know that the medication my dog needs for Cushing's disease will cost 125 euros a month from the vet in France, so I really need to find a way of keeping the costs down.

I hope someone will be able to tell me if French vets will write prescriptions which can be used with online suppliers in France.

[suein56]

[quote user="Marielle"]My little dog has 3 different meds daily and need syringes and testing strips for his diabetes as well. [/quote]

Testing strips and syringes for our diabetic cat (from our Vet) cost us a pittance, it was about 2€50 for a box of 100 syringes. And very little for 30 needles a month, when we were giving 2 jabs a day and changing the needle every day.

Some things are dramatically cheaper here.

Sue

[Marielle]

Thanks, Sue. They certainly are much cheaper there. I have checked some websites and found that some of his meds are available online with a vet's prescription. They are considerably more expensive in France than UK, even from the same company, but still a bit cheaper than from the vet. Will check with pharmacy when we're over there next month.

Thanks again.

Marie

[Quillan]

We have a cat with a Thyroid problem and is on medical treatment for the rest of her life. To buy online we need a prescription and our local French vet wouldn't give us one. I took the bottle of tablets to my local pharmacy who ordered them for me and they were just a few cents more than buying online and with no prescription. The price is half what the French vet charged us for the first bottle. We buy the special food from the MedicAnimal website, they have one in France or you can order from the UK, everything comes from the same place anyway. Only a Euro a tin from them as opposed to 2.35 from most vets. They do a good deal on Hills and other health brands. Some stuff is free delivery to France as well.

[Marielle]

Thanks for the information.

I understood that vets are supposed to issue prescriptions if asked, but when I spoke to the vet we use in France, she refused, saying that the matter of vets' prescriptions was "under discussion".

I have checked with MedicAnimal and they tell me that they will deliver some medication in France, with a French vet's prescription, or they will deliver to a UK address on a UK vet's prescription. They are cheaper than buying from the vet, but more expensive to buy the items for delivery in France than in UK.

I think the best thing to do is to try a different vet to see if I can get a prescription there. I'll also have a word with the pharmacist when we're in France this summer. Our pharmacist here in UK will dispense some items on a vet's prescription, but not all of them are available. Price is about half what the vet charges.

Thanks again for your help.

[pitway]

[quote user="Marielle"]Thanks for the information.

I understood that vets are supposed to issue prescriptions if asked, but when I spoke to the vet we use in France, she refused, saying that the matter of vets' prescriptions was "under discussion".

I have checked with MedicAnimal and they tell me that they will deliver some medication in France, with a French vet's prescription, or they will deliver to a UK address on a UK vet's prescription. They are cheaper than buying from the vet, but more expensive to buy the items for delivery in France than in UK.

I think the best thing to do is to try a different vet to see if I can get a prescription there. I'll also have a word with the pharmacist when we're in France this summer. Our pharmacist here in UK will dispense some items on a vet's prescription, but not all of them are available. Price is about half what the vet charges.

Thanks again for your help.

[/quote]

Try another vet, my vet gives me a prescription that states the quantity, dosage etc. this means I can take that anywhere to acquire the medicine. there is no time limit on it it says the particular treatment is a permanent thing, ask another vet.

[Marielle]

I'll give that a try, pitway. Who knows, our vet may decide that she can actually give me a prescription if she stands to lose a patient who will definitely be needing regular vet's visits!