Submission Number: 560891-00635 

Received: 10/15/2012 6:30:10 PM
Commenter: Marcella Loehrer
Organization: private citizen
State: Pennsylvania

Agency: Federal Trade Commission
Initiative: Request for Comments and Announcement of Workshop on Pet Medications Issues, Project No. P121201
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
I have had two veterinarians since moving to PA and both charge for written prescriptions. Clearly that practice forces customers to buy prescriptions from the vet. The ONLY time I was able to get a FREE written prescription for a medicine my dog requires daily was because the vet discontinued stocking the brand name and wanted to substitute a generic of their own, which I refused. They still wanted to charge for the written prescription but I pointed out that the change was due to their action, not mine. In addition, recently my current (now ex) vet misdiagnosed a growth as an allergic reaction (actually a wart) & charged $20 for an injection of "Benadryl." Aside from the shot being unnecessary, generic Benadryl can be purchased for $4 for 100 tablets, which medication I always have on hand because my dog does have dust allergy. Because I have a wellness plan which costs over $500 per year, I get a 25% discount on medicines purchased from the vet. When I can, I purchase dog supplies from 1-800-PETMEDS.