Pets
Related: About this forumMaking Pet Meds More Affordable (officially known as HR 1406: Fairness to Pet Owners Act of 2011-IH)
By Martha Connors
As politicians and voters squared off this fall, a little bill sat in committee on Capitol Hill, awaiting action that in all likelihood wont happen. If it expires, it will probably be reintroduced at the next Congressional go-around in 2013. But even if it dies on the vine, the bill has opened debate on an issue that affects virtually every pet owner the cost and availability of veterinary medications and promises to keep the discussion going for years to come.
If passed, the legislation (officially known as HR 1406: Fairness to Pet Owners Act of 2011-IH) will require vets to give clients a written copy of all prescriptions. It also will require them to notify clients, in writing, of the clients option to have the prescription filled elsewhere, and to confirm (via fax or other means) any prescriptions sent to outside pharmacies. This is not a novel concept; a majority of veterinarians already do this for those who request it. The act would, however, make it mandatory for vets to provide the prescriptions without being asked.
The bill is modeled on the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act of 2003, which required eye doctors to give their patients a copy of their prescriptions, thus breaking the medical monopoly on those lucrative little bits of polymer. This prescription portability was credited with changing the entire contact-lens market, giving consumers freedom to comparison shop (making prices more competitive) and also improving the quality and safety of the products themselves by streamlining the supply chain and distribution system. In the world of veterinary medicine, prescription portability would, at least in theory, reassure bargainhunting consumers that theyre shopping around in a truly open (and safe) marketplace.
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http://thebark.com/content/making-pet-meds-more-affordable
Stinky The Clown
(67,823 posts)Purveyor
(29,876 posts)to write a prescription.
All he does is vaccinations and heartworm tests, plus the costs are so reasonable it doesn't pay to get the meds any other place.
I take my widowed neighbors dog their every spring to re-up on heartworm meds and other vacs.
The place is a godsend for those who normally could not afford a regular vet visit too.
union_maid
(3,502 posts)Our vet does this and we actually get one medication from Canada at a much lower price than we could do here. I'm all for this.
douglas9
(4,359 posts)>snip
The AVMA has been actively seeking to defeat the bill by lobbying on Capitol Hill and requesting members to contact Congress and express their views. The AVMA says the bill is redundant with already-existing AVMA guidelines, encroaches on state law and would place undue administrative burdens on veterinary practices. It has also stated that veterinarians are uniquely qualified to make decisions and recommendations on pet healthcare treatment and medications within a specific veterinarian-client-patient relationship.
Lutschaunig told AVMA delegates that there was a good chance the bill would be reintroduced next year. Well definitely be keeping an eye on it, he said.
http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=783989