Counterfeit and Gray-Market Products

It’s that time of year for a reminder about why we do not directly approve prescription requests from third-party websites!

Please note this is not solely regarding the company referenced below; this is just one of many examples:

“We [PetMeds Express] currently purchase a portion of our prescription and non-prescription medications from third party distributors and we are not an authorized distributor of these products.

“In order to assure a supply of these products, we purchase medications from various secondary sources…we will continue to rely upon secondary sources…As these products represent a significant portion of our sales, our failure to fill customer orders for these products could adversely impact our sales.”*

While sometimes the products are less expensive than from a verified source (your veterinarian), there is no manufacturer warranty which would generally cover cost of failed medication and/or treatment if your pet falls ill as a result of said failure.

Another aspect of the gray market is entirely counterfeit medications: those  created to look like one thing but comprised of something entirely different, meaning you’ve no idea what you’re actually purchasing and giving your pet.

We will, of course, write you a prescription if you chose to purchase prescription items elsewhere.

PLEASE KNOW THE RISKS and DO YOUR RESEARCH!

For more information about illegal veterinary medications, please see: HealthforAnimals Illegal Veterinary Medicines: Impact and Effective Control

*From page 6 of 1800PetMeds’ 2017 Annual report