If you’re looking to save money on a prescription for your pet, you may be considering buying from an online pharmacy that advertises lower drug prices. So should you order medicine from your pet online as a way to save money? The answer isn’t so straightforward. Ordering online may save you money, but it also comes with risks. And, there are other ways to save. Here’s what you need to know if you want to save money on medication for your pet.
Why it’s a good idea to get your pet’s prescriptions directly from your veterinarian
There are many benefits to getting medicine for your dog or cat directly from your veterinarian.
Your vet knows your pet
Medication recommendations are based on your pet’s full health picture, including their medical history, current condition, weight, age, bloodwork, and any other medications or supplements they may be taking. When you buy medication through your veterinary clinic, your care team stays directly involved. They can check for possible drug interactions, confirm the dose is appropriate, monitor for side effects, and make adjustments if your pet’s needs change.
Drug quality and authenticity is guaranteed (no risk of fake or faulty meds)
Veterinary clinics purchase medications through licensed, regulated veterinary distributors. These suppliers work with pharmaceutical manufacturers and follow strict requirements for storage, handling, and transportation. Not every online source can offer the same confidence.
If you order pet medication online from a non-clinic source, you may not know for sure whether it is authentic (not fake) and whether it was handled properly. For example, you might not know whether the medication was:
- stored at the correct temperature,
- kept in good condition (intact),
- or handled properly during shipping.
And some medications are more sensitive than others. Temperature-sensitive medications, such as certain eye medications, vaccines, and some biologic products, can lose effectiveness if they become too hot or too cold during shipping. Once this happens, there may be no visible sign that the medication has changed. That could mean by the time the medication arrives at your door, it doesn’t work anymore and you would have no way of knowing.
Finally, for safety and legal reasons, you also want to be sure that the pet medication is approved for use in Canada.
Get the medicine your pet needs right away
When your pet is sick or uncomfortable, waiting several days for shipping may not be ideal. Your veterinary clinic can often provide medication right away, so treatment can begin sooner. If your pet experiences a side effect, does not improve as expected, or needs a medication change, your veterinary team can respond quickly and adjust the treatment plan without additional shipping delays.
Get the support you need
Medications work best when given correctly and consistently. Your veterinary team can show you how to give your pet medications and answer your questions on-the-spot before you leave the clinic. Specifically, your vet team can help you with tips on how to:
- feed your pet tablets or capsules,
- give your pet insulin safely,
- and apply ear and eye medication to your pet.
They can also talk to you in detail about how often you should give the medication and warn you about the side effects to look out for. These conversations can improve treatment success and reduce stress for both pets and their families.
Also, some pharmaceutical manufacturers (drug-makers) offer product support, satisfaction guarantees, or replacement programs when medications are purchased through licensed veterinary hospitals. These programs may not apply when products are purchased through unauthorized or unverified online sellers. If there is ever a concern about product quality or effectiveness, your veterinary clinic can also work directly with the manufacturer on your behalf.
Support a local business
When you purchase medications through your veterinary hospital, you are also helping support the services and resources that allow them to care for pets in your community.
This helps veterinary hospitals continue to provide:
- medical equipment and supplies,
- laboratory diagnostics,
- emergency medications and treatment supplies,
- continuing education for veterinarians and technicians,
- skilled nursing care,
- and time for education, follow-up, and personalized support.
And veterinary hospitals are likely to reinvest these resources directly into patient care.
You should know: The risks of purchasing pet medication from an online pharmacy
Not all online sources are equal! You can’t always trust in the quality and safety of medication for sale online.
Counterfeit (fake) medications
Counterfeit (fake) products are an increasing concern worldwide no matter what you’re buying online — making it more important than ever that you trust your online source. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical drugs for your pet are no exception. Just like knock-off brand name clothing or skincare, these products may look legitimate but may not meet the safety, quality, or effectiveness standards expected for your pet.
Counterfeit or improperly sourced pet medication might:
- contain the wrong ingredients,
- include an incorrect dosage,
- be expired, relabelled, or improperly stored,
- or be missing appropriate quality control.
And faulty medication carries risks for your pet. At best, it might not be as effective as the medication your veterinarian prescribed. At worst, it could be harmful to your pet.
Hidden fees
An online pet pharmacy’s price may look lower at first, but the final cost can include more fees than just the medication itself. Possible added costs or risks include prescription writing fees, shipping charges, shipping delays, incorrect product selection, limited professional support, and replacement costs if medication is lost or damaged during transport. When you add up the extras, ordering pet medication online may be more expensive than advertised and not save you much (or any) money after all.
Also, if you choose to bring your prescription to an in-person (human) or online pharmacy instead of buying pet medication through your vet, it is not uncommon for your veterinarian to charge a fee of between $20-50. This covers the cost of a medical review, where your doctor looks at your pet’s medical history to make sure that the medication continues to be safe for them. Your vet might make adjustments to the medication or dose before preparing the new prescription to send to your pharmacy.
Scams
Unfortunately, there are many scams out there preying on vulnerable pet parents. It is common to find “discount pharmacies” targeting deal-seeking pet parents that offer “brand-name prescriptions” that are really just convincing knock-offs. This is very common for flea, tick, and heartworm prevention.
Never give your pets any products that appear to be suspicious, are labelled for use in another country, are missing leaflets, contain spelling errors, or are tampered with in any way. There are many reports of these products being harmful or even fatal to pets. And sometimes the product doesn’t ship at all; it’s just a scam to obtain your credit card information.
Pet medication from other countries
Online retailers may ship unapproved, foreign-labeled products from the UK, Australia, or South Africa. Your product could be blocked by Canadian customs, or may arrive but not be approved for use in Canada. In the cases of foreign-shipped parasite prevention, it is common for medication to have the same brand but not protect against the same species of ticks we have here in Canada.
How to save money on your pet’s medications — including how to spot a trustworthy online pharmacy
- Ask about auto-ordering from your vet
Often, vet clinics have their own online pharmacies that make ordering your pet’s medications easy. By signing up for auto-order, you can make it simpler for your vet team to fill your prescription, which is why this option usually comes with savings as high as 5-20%. Plus, you’ll have the added peace of mind of knowing you’ll never run out of medication because your veterinarian will automatically renew it each time your pet is coming due.
- Ask your vet about refills in advance (if you have the prescription filled at another pharmacy)
As mentioned above, for your pet’s safety, the veterinarian must perform a medical review before they issue a new prescription. However, to save on paying for the medical review fee multiple times, you can request that your veterinarian give you “refills” on your prescription in advance. With refills, you can get follow-up doses without a medical review. This pre-approval can save you the fee each time, so you only pay it when it’s up for review again. That means you can go directly through your chosen pharmacy for each refill.
- Buy from a local (human medication) pharmacy
When pet medications are also used in human medicine, they may be available at your human pharmacy. Your veterinarian can give you a written prescription to take to your pharmacy for them to fill. Additionally, as of last year, many pharmacies are starting to offer pet prescriptions, too. Due to larger buying power, they can often sell medication for a lower price than what your veterinary clinic is able to offer.
While this can be a safer option than trying to find an online pharmacy, veterinarians warn that filling pet prescriptions outside vet clinics (even at legitimate human pharmacies) may still be risky because of the differences between human and animal medicine.
- Consider ordering online from a trustworthy online pharmacy
How can you tell if a source you found online selling your pet’s medication is trustworthy? A trustworthy website requires a prescription from your veterinarian and is licensed in your province. They will also have:
- a real address,
- a working phone number,
- and licensed pharmacists that are available to answer questions about your medications.
Summary
If you want to save money on medication for your pet, there may be ways to save through your vet! Try asking your veterinarian about auto-ordering. If you’re considering filling your vet’s prescription by a different in-person or online pharmacy, know that there may be extra costs. For example, shipping fees (from the site) and external pharmacy processing fees (from your vet). If you do choose an outside pharmacy, ask your veterinarian about getting refills in advance when it’s safe to do so.
Most importantly, if you decide to order from an online pharmacy, make sure to do your due diligence. Check that the online provider is licensed in Canada, requires a prescription, and has a real address and phone number. Even if it appears to ship legitimate products, approach with caution. And, be sure to keep your veterinarian in the loop so they can update your pet’s medical records.
Finally, keep in mind that medication is not just a product. It’s part of a treatment plan. When you purchase medication from your veterinary clinic, you receive more than a bottle of pills. You get professional guidance, quality assurance, ongoing monitoring, and a team that knows your pet.
