While it may seem convenient to get your dog's prescription medication directly from your veterinarian, it may end up costing you more in the long run. A lower cost alternative may be to order your dog's prescription through an online pet pharmacy. There are a wide variety of pet pharmacy websites that offer discount pet medications. Spending a few minutes visiting sites and comparison shopping will help you find the most reputable distributor and the best price.
Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Internet connection
- Paper
- Pen or pencil
Instructions
Visit your veterinarian if you need to obtain a written prescription for your dog's medication. This will ensure that you are pricing the correct medication and dosage. On most sites, you also will need this to place your order.
Look online for several different pet medication sites that you would feel comfortable using. Remember, the more sites that you compare, the more likely you are to find the lowest price.
Go to the first site, find the price for your dog's medication and write it down. Be sure to check that you are pricing for the correct dosage that is listed on the prescription and make a note of how many pills the price is for. If your dog is on a recurring prescription, it may be cheaper to purchase it in bulk if the prescription allows for it.
Estimate what the shipping cost would be for your order. On some sites, you may have to add the item to your cart to do this. It is important to factor shipping into the actual cost, as some sites will advertise the lowest price only to make up for the difference by charging more for shipping and handling.
Look around the site for online discounts, coupons or loyalty clubs. For example, PetCareRx offers a free rewards club, which awards you points for every purchase. When you have enough points, you will receive a bonus discount on a future order. A rewards program could be beneficial if you order prescriptions for your dog on a regular basis.
Calculate your final price for the prescription and write it down along with the name of the website.
Repeat this process for each website.