• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 31 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 31st anniversary: Happy 31st Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $23,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $23 Million dollars
  • Wish you could meet up with other TUG members? Well look no further as this annual event has been going on for years in Orlando! How to Attend the TUG January Get-Together!
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    Tens of thousands of subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Costco canine prescriptions

Joyce

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
530
Reaction score
23
Location
Farmington, CT
I have been paying $102 for a 30 day supply of a needed prescription for my dog. I recently discovered that I can get the same prescription at the Costco Pharmacy near me for $45. Would you trust it?
 

heathpack

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
4,796
Reaction score
4,109
Location
Rural Alabama
Resorts Owned
Hyatt Highland Inn
DVC Grand Californian and Hilton Head Island
Marriott Barony Beach and Mountainside
MVC Points
Yes, Costco is legit for these prescriptions. I am a veterinarian and I send clients to Costco all the time. Sometimes Costco charges the owner less for the medication than I can buy it for from my supplier. I guess its a volume discount.
 

Joyce

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
530
Reaction score
23
Location
Farmington, CT
There is so much info about how people think they are buying the correct medication but they get junk from China. Just checking to make sure.
 

1Kflyerguy

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2012
Messages
3,904
Reaction score
1,912
Location
San Jose, Ca
Resorts Owned
HGVC Kings Land, Elara, and Marriott Destination Club Points
There is so much info about how people think they are buying the correct medication but they get junk from China. Just checking to make sure.

sadly a lot of medications are now imported, and even meds made in the US have ingredients made overseas. no way to avoid that.

You might check on something like GoodRx, I use that to cut the cost of a few Rx that my insurance does not cover. Think the have an version for animals.
 

heathpack

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
4,796
Reaction score
4,109
Location
Rural Alabama
Resorts Owned
Hyatt Highland Inn
DVC Grand Californian and Hilton Head Island
Marriott Barony Beach and Mountainside
MVC Points
sadly a lot of medications are now imported, and even meds made in the US have ingredients made overseas. no way to avoid that.

You might check on something like GoodRx, I use that to cut the cost of a few Rx that my insurance does not cover. Think the have an version for animals.

GoodRx is a terrible choice for animals actually.

This particular pharmacy tracks prescibers via 1 of 2 numbers- the number assoicated with your DEA license or something called a Prescribers Identification Number. Veterinarians are not eligible to get a Prescribers Identification Number, so the only choice is to use a DEA number. The DEA, quite rightfully, does not want DEA numbers used in association with prescriptions for non-controlled substances, they want these numbers used for the purpose for which they were intended- ie to provide tracking for controlled drug prescriptions ONLY. Plus, not all veterinarians even have DEA numbers.

By law, I have to send a prescription to whatever pharmacy a client requests. But I don't have to provide my DEA number for non-controlled substances. So here's how a GoodRx prescription goes- I send the prescription, they request my DEA number, I won't provide it, they then request my PIN, I tell em I don't have one and can't get one, they refuse to fill the prescription, and we start the process all over with another pharmacy. Of course, I warn my clients that this is what will happen, but if they insist anyway, I have no choice.

YMMV if your veterinarian caves and provides the DEA number. Which puts their DEA license at risk and thereby their ability to practice their livelihood. So please, do your vet a favor and don't even ask.
 

Sandy VDH

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
10,186
Reaction score
4,581
Location
Houston, TX
Resorts Owned
Wynd VIP Plat GF, Legacy HGVC Elite, WM, HICV, +
Also Costco only has a certain profit margin they want to make on items. They do not jack the rates up because they can. It is lower than most outlets. Why would you not trust Costco?

I used to get my dog prescription there all the time. Way cheaper and the Vet couldn't even provide this certain med for me.
 

Beachclubmum

newbie
Joined
Sep 14, 2016
Messages
692
Reaction score
729
Location
Costco
My sister used to get her cat’s medicine at Costco. Saved her several hundreds of dollars each month.
 

DJensen

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
281
Reaction score
114
Location
Plymouth, MN
Target used to fill pet prescriptions too. Not sure if they do now as they are part of CVS network. Can always ask your pharmacy if they fill pet Rx and the cost. They are all looking for $$$ and profit!
 

heathpack

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
4,796
Reaction score
4,109
Location
Rural Alabama
Resorts Owned
Hyatt Highland Inn
DVC Grand Californian and Hilton Head Island
Marriott Barony Beach and Mountainside
MVC Points
Target used to fill pet prescriptions too. Not sure if they do now as they are part of CVS network. Can always ask your pharmacy if they fill pet Rx and the cost. They are all looking for $$$ and profit!

Any pharmacy can fill any prescription, whether for an animal or a human.

The question is: what meds do they stock?

90% of veterinary prescriptions are written for meds commonly prescribed for humans, and most pharmacies can just fill the med like they fill one of your own meds.

A few veterinary prescriptions are written for animal-specific meds, in which case a human-oriented pharmacy may not stock the drug. Nor may they be willing to order it because they’d have to set up an account with a veterinary vendor.

Sometimes there are human equivalents of veterinary drugs and you could request a substitute from your vet if you wanted to shop at a human-oriented pharmacy. Sometimes there’s no human equivalent and you have to find a pharmacy that stocks veterinary products.

Costco stocks veterinary products. And if the desire is to save money, Costco usually beats CVS.
 

cali-gal

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Messages
164
Reaction score
41
Location
Southern California
Resorts Owned
Marriott Maui Ocean Club, Ka'anapali Beach Club (Diamond)
GoodRx is a terrible choice for animals actually.

This particular pharmacy tracks prescibers via 1 of 2 numbers- the number assoicated with your DEA license or something called a Prescribers Identification Number.

I've used GoodRx many, many times to locate a source for my pets medication and the lowest price point. It's just a resource, not a pharmacy. They do not request my vet's DEA; in fact, there is no request for a veterinarian's name when I am checking it.

I will say most of the time Costco is the least expensive for my pets' meds, although not always. I foster dogs so at any given time may have as many as six different medications I'm dispensing numerous times a day. Working on behalf of a rescue, I of course try to source the least expensive medication options.

I will add one very IMPORTANT bit of information. My dog was using gabapentin for neurologic pain. I was offered liquid or pill form, and one time I opted to try the liquid. I only gave one dose, which the dog promptly spit out and she continuously refused it. I still had some pills left so resumed using those and requested pills from that point on. Some weeks later I heard from Costco pharmacy informing me of the presence of Xylitol in the liquid gabapentin, which is VERY dangerous for dogs. Had she not refused it, it could have been fatal. So please, always double-check with the pharmacy about any additives used. Costco was quite rightly very upset and apologetic. Always be sure they know it is a canine or feline prescription.
 

presley

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
6,316
Reaction score
1,132
For long term expensive medications, I will use Costco. I don't bother with temporary meds and just get those from the vet.

My former dog had an expensive medication that I thought the vet was overcharging me for. I changed to Costco and saved like $3./month, which wasn't worth the savings to me, but the Costco was a shorter drive.
 

CalGalTraveler

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2014
Messages
10,694
Reaction score
9,332
Location
California
Resorts Owned
HGVC, MVC Vistana
We pay a fortune in RX for our dog's eye drops for her episcleritis via a compound pharmacy (Wedgewood). However GoodRX doesn't have the meds listed. I doubt Costco would carry.

Any ideas on how to bring down the cost of compound pharma?
 

presley

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
6,316
Reaction score
1,132
Any ideas on how to bring down the cost of compound pharma?
Sadly, no. Compound medication is made fresh and specifically for your dog at the time that you order it. You can try price comparing with an online one in Arizona called Roadrunner. I used them and then a local compound pharmacy opened, so I switched to the local one. Then, the local one changed the price from $40. - $75. for the same medication, saying it was because of California making some ingredient illegal to buy on it's own and so they had to do a longer process to get the ingredient that my dog needed. At that point, I went back to Roadrunner because the ingredient was still legal in Arizona.
 

CalGalTraveler

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2014
Messages
10,694
Reaction score
9,332
Location
California
Resorts Owned
HGVC, MVC Vistana
Sadly, no. Compound medication is made fresh and specifically for your dog at the time that you order it. You can try price comparing with an online one in Arizona called Roadrunner. I used them and then a local compound pharmacy opened, so I switched to the local one. Then, the local one changed the price from $40. - $75. for the same medication, saying it was because of California making some ingredient illegal to buy on it's own and so they had to do a longer process to get the ingredient that my dog needed. At that point, I went back to Roadrunner because the ingredient was still legal in Arizona.

Thank you for the tip on Roadrunner. (Tuggers are the best!) Roadrunner have one of our meds. The one they don't carry increased from $35 to $100 due to new restrictions last year so perhaps it is affected by the Calif law you mentioned. It now ships from Arizona instead of SF. I'll price compare the one they have because it is also expensive and it appears Roadrunner carries it.
 

Joyce

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
530
Reaction score
23
Location
Farmington, CT
Bought Viki,s pills (my dog ) at Costco today. I spoke to the pharmacist and he said they are the same pills. I compared them to the ones I have at home and it is a match! Thanks everyone.
 

DebBrown

TUG Lifetime Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,558
Reaction score
186
I get my dog's meds from Costco. Alot of the big sites like Chewy.com also sell prescriptions now. You might want to compare prices.
 
Top