kirsty79 Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Hi All, Jessie our 13 year old x has bad arthritis. We started her on meloxicam approx 2/3 months ago. It was $166 for 100ml from our vets. We are at the end of the bottle, have gone to reorder and it has gone up another $20!!! In just over 2 months??? WTF!! Anyway, regardless we have to get it. It has made a wonderful difference and she is clearly not anywhere near as uncomfortable as she was getting. My question is, does this price soound about right? Is it worth asking other vets and would they prescribe it or would they need to see Jess 1st? I can't seem to find anywhere online, but does anyone know where I might be able to purchase this cheaper? Or a cheaper alternative? Thanks so much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniek Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) I just paid $143 for a 100mm bottle of Metacam Edited March 29, 2011 by anniek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 We have it at $160 however I have a massive pile of pricing to go through so yes, the manufacturer may have put it up. You can't get it online as it's a prescription medicine and has applicable laws to go with the dispensing of it, including such things as your Vet providing follow up whilst your dog is on this drug. You can shop around but to get it elsewhere will involve another consultation fee. Unfortunately NSAID's are not cheap but they are gold for dogs who really need it. Why don't you call your clinic and have a chat to them about the other tablets on the market (there are also Metacam tabs now) between yourself and the nurse you can probably work out a cost per day for your dog and compare the brands. Be aware though that manufacturers put prices up all the time with no regard to the end user....just the way it is unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormie Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 We're at $136 but that price is from a month ago, so may well have gone up since then. We've had a fair few price rises lately so I wouldn't be surprised if it's up next time we order it. Agree with SnT - have a word with one of the nurses and ask them to work out which would work out most cost effective for you. There is a generic of Metacam which is just called Meloxicam which might work out cheaper. I used to use a generic version of Rimadyl which was exactly the same, just wasn't flavoured and was half the price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythings Shiny Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Yeah, a lot of NSAIDs are going up in price ATM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonny_beagle Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Alot of NSAID's aren't expensive e.g aspirin, but meloxicam is one of the newer ones. Meloxicam at pharmacies comes in 7.5mg and 15mg and retails at $19-$25 for 30 tabs, not sure what vet prices are for tabs though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staranais Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 (edited) Alot of NSAID's aren't expensive e.g aspirin, but meloxicam is one of the newer ones. Meloxicam at pharmacies comes in 7.5mg and 15mg and retails at $19-$25 for 30 tabs, not sure what vet prices are for tabs though. That seems considerably cheaper (assuming that the solution is 1.5mg/ml). Might be hard getting a prescription for it though, as in most circumstances vets are obliged to prescribe an animal drug rather than the human equivalent if there is one available. That can be a pain for clients when there is a human equivalent which is substantially cheaper, but unfortunately it's the law. Some owners also prefer the solution to tablets too, as it can be easier to get it into the animal & also dosing can be more precise. Edited April 1, 2011 by Staranais Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inevitablue Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 A bit OT, what's the new ruling with compounding chemists? I see Bova advertising heavily. I know of one vet that gets most things made at a compounding chemist, including Pimobendan and Benazapril combined into one tablet Wouldn't Novartis and Boehringer be impressed Wonder what price meloxicam would come in at from a c chemist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staff'n'Toller Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Down here the compounding chemists add their fees so the medication becomes more expensive again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 (edited) A bit OT, what's the new ruling with compounding chemists? I see Bova advertising heavily. I know of one vet that gets most things made at a compounding chemist, including Pimobendan and Benazapril combined into one tablet Wouldn't Novartis and Boehringer be impressed Wonder what price meloxicam would come in at from a c chemist? If there's a patented medication involved, it needs to be supplied to the compound pharmacy first - the compounding fee is only to reformulate it. For other medications, the fee covers the cost of drugs and compounding. Edited April 2, 2011 by Rappie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormie Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 I get my Cyclosporine for Orbit from Bova - it's still expensive ($550 for 100ml) but its considerably cheaper than if I bought Atopica capsules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I get my Cyclosporine for Orbit from Bova - it's still expensive ($550 for 100ml) but its considerably cheaper than if I bought Atopica capsules. How long does the 100ml last for? We are considering cyclosporine but Atopica is just so expensive for a large dog. Re: metacam, ilium make a generic meloxicam solution. You can also use generic carprofen tablets (active ingredient in rimadyl) which are much cheaper. I think the solution is easier to give though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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