Why Does Pet Medication Cost a Fortune?

Image Credit –

Just like other businesses, drug companies look to make a handsome return on their investment or else they cease to exist in the market. If safe, innovative and effective medications are no longer available for your pet, then their immunity to disease and quality of life will go down. The FDA has approved over 300 drugs for use on companion animals. Most of these drugs share an active ingredient with the human drug counterpart. And all of them must go through the same verification and safety procedures.The process of getting a drug from the lab to the market is regulated by the government, statistically verifiable, scientifically exact and not to mention financially draining. Most of the major drug companies have experts from the fields of finance, and science and technology to help them with the process. Veterinarians, biochemists, statisticians, physicians, lawyers and accountants all play a role in getting the final product to the shelf.After all the research, development, clinical trials and FDA reviews, the manufacturing company usually has a small window of time on their patent to recoup their investment. And it does not make a lot of sense to manufacture medication and sell it just to regain the investment, when another company can just copy your product and sell the drug at a much lower price once the patent expires. So, it is understandable that the price of pet medication is a bit steep.

Currently, the distribution system for pet drugs is vet-heavy. The vet markup over the wholesale price of the medication starts at 100 percent and can go up to 160 percent. On top of that, they charge a dispensing fee. Consequently, a lot of pet owners tend to cut back on the recommended dosage, which is a complete no-no. You cannot cut back on the safety of your pet just because the treatment is taxing your wallet. That also doesn’t mean you have to continue paying exorbitant prices. Most pet owners remain blissfully unaware of the fact that they do not have to buy the medication from the vet who has prescribed them.Most of the popular pet medications are available at

for a fraction of the cost. Since online retailers sell their medication without the artificial markup, the prices they offer are the lowest you will find anywhere in the market. They also comply with the state and federal licensing requirements and quality assurance, and are completely safe. So, go the vet’s office by all means to get a diagnosis for your dog’s condition. But when it’s time for you to shell out money for the medicine, you and your pet are much better off getting it online.