He was trying to sell me Previcox. The last time I bought, it was the big bottle of Equioxx. Again, he’s been on this for 13 years now, I know the “tricks”. The generic is cheaper, and it’s certainly cheaper for me to get it from Valley Vet than off his truck.
He plays these games with every single med. He does not want to write scripts, ever.
Technically it’s not allowed for them to provide a prescription for Previcox since there is a version labelled for horses (Equioxx) and Previcox would be an off-label prescription, which is only allowed if there is no other alternative version.
I wasn’t asking for a Previcoxx prescription.
I wanted a prescription for generic Equioxx, aka, firocoxib, which is listed for horses per Valley Vet.
He just wants to make his money. I need to save money where I can. Magically, within a week, a bottle of the generic was dropped off at the barn. I haven’t received the bill for that, but guarantee it will be more than what I can get it at Valley Vet for.
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=981c4e99-ce3d-4862-b8d7-9db935f4d2ea
That’s a shame. In the long run, I found i more economical to script out many things rather than maintain an inventory, although there were some that I could provide at a lower cost than the pharmacies, but that was before the meteoric rise in internet veterinary pharmacies. (I’m looking at you, CVS…)
Plus, it was a relief to have clients bitching about the pharmacy price, and not my bill. 
My vet clinic uses Previcox for all critters. I dunno if it’s easier for them since they treat all kinds of animals or what. My horse responds better to a gram of Bute than half a Previcox so it doesn’t make any difference to me.
I got some off label GentaCalm for my horse that’s labeled for dogs only and vet didn’t bat an eye at my request.
Off-label use is fine with the regulatory authorities if there is no equivalent product liccensed for that species.
Off-label Previcoxx was permissible up until the equine formulation was appoved.
Blame the drug companies, though, and not the DVMs for that sort of nonsense. They slap a horse on the label and double the price.
Many vets do this and my clinic did for a long time…until they got a warning letter from the state board about prescribing off-label. Many vets in my state (WI) all were targeted at the same time. But another local vet will still prescribe off label, so they either didn’t get the warning or are willing to take the risk.
I believe there isn’t an equine equivalent of GentaCalm as for the Previcox I dunno why they do what they do but since my horse responds so much better to Bute it’s not really on my radar
Well I wouldn’t have fussed at Equioxx, I’m just relaying what the vet said to me when she sold me the Previcox. That they use Previcox for all the critters. If I need that drug again and she says she has to sell me the Equioxx that’ll be fine.
Naturally my horse does best on the Bute paste. No saving money using the powder or easy to feed Previcox pills for us. Annoying and spendy is his SOP.
I had a vet in the past who refused to write a script or help you get any medication in a manner other than through him. It was super annoying. He would even try to get you to buy over the counter stuff through him. Maybe it’s a guy thing. 
My current vet said it’s to the point now where some of these online vendors are selling pharmaceuticals to the public (with a script) for less than her cost getting them directly from the suppliers. So she has been very vocal encouraging clients to shop around for a better price and she’ll happily write the script. It’s refreshing. I imagine it also helps her a lot, too, reducing the manpower needed for managing inventory.
I love valley vet! I do everything but rabies. I’m so great full to have an excellent vet who trusts me.
Not for my Guy Vet of 20+yrs.
He routinely faxed a script for my TB’s flavored bute powder to the compounding pharmacy in KY & called in one for WB’s gabapentin to my local Walgreens. Where they looked at me funny when I picked it up & asked about the recommended dose… Until I explained it was for a horse 
Sadly, 5yrs ago he retired his equine practice when he became interested in specializing in ACL issues & surgeries for dogs.
His distaff replacement seems to price meds fairly & has even provided opthalmic ointment gratis for the teeny tube.
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