As a savvy shopper and pet parent, you‘re always looking for ways to save money without compromising your furry friend‘s health and well-being. Pet medications can be one of the biggest ongoing expenses of pet ownership, and filling them at your vet‘s office is often not the most budget-friendly option. Many pet owners are surprised to learn that you can get prescriptions for your cat or dog filled at retail pharmacies like Costco, often at significant discounts.
As a retail and consumer analyst, I‘m always interested in where people can find the best deals on life‘s essentials. So I took a deep dive into the world of Costco‘s pet medication services and prices compared to vets and other pharmacies. What I found might seriously impact your pet care budget. Here‘s everything you need to know about filling pet meds at Costco.
The Rising Costs of Pet Medications
If you feel like your pet‘s medication expenses have been increasing in recent years, it‘s not just your imagination. According to nationwide pet insurance provider PetPlan, the average annual cost of pet medications has increased by nearly 75% since 2015. In a 2020 LendEDU poll, 20% of pet owners reported spending more than $100 per month on their animal‘s prescriptions.
Several factors are fueling these rising pet medication costs. Expensive new therapies for conditions like cancer and diabetes are becoming more common. Usage of preventative medications like flea/tick and heartworm treatments are on the rise. And consolidation in the animal pharmaceutical industry has reduced competition and allowed bigger players to steadily increase prices.
What does this mean for you as a responsible pet owner who doesn‘t want to break the bank on pet care? You may need to get a bit more creative and strategic in where you shop for pet meds. A great place to start is comparing prices at retail pharmacies like Costco.
Yes, Costco Fills Pet Prescriptions
Though it‘s not always well-advertised, your neighborhood Costco warehouse has a full-service pharmacy that can fill prescriptions for your pets as well as the human members of your family. You can get your cat or dog‘s prescriptions from the vet filled while you shop for bulk groceries and household essentials. Talk about convenient one-stop shopping!
Even better, you don‘t actually need to be a Costco member to use the pharmacy for your pet meds. Costco is required by law to allow the general public to use their pharmacy without a membership. However, there are some exclusive savings programs for members that provide additional discounts on pet meds (more on this later).
Costco pharmacies maintain a sizable inventory of the most commonly prescribed medications for dogs and cats. This includes both brand-name and generic options for ongoing and acute health conditions. While exact on-hand inventory may vary by location, most Costco pharmacies stock pet meds in the following major categories:
- Parasite control (fleas, ticks, heartworm, etc.)
- Antibiotics and antifungals
- Pain management (NSAIDs, etc.)
- Behavioral health (anxiety, etc.)
- Endocrine/hormonal conditions (diabetes, thyroid, etc.)
- Ophthalmic and otic (eye and ear) treatments
- Gastrointestinal and urinary health
To find out if Costco has the specific medications prescribed for your pet, you can search the online Pet Drug Directory maintained by the Costco Pharmacy. It provides pricing as well as warehouse inventory status so you can see if your pet‘s meds are in stock nearby. You can also call your local Costco pharmacy directly to inquire about a specific pet medication.
How Costco‘s Pet Med Prices Stack Up
Most people know that shopping at Costco instead of other big-box stores or local grocers can provide big savings on household staples and groceries. But does that same price advantage apply to the medications prescribed for your pets? In most cases, absolutely yes.
Costco is well-known for its across-the-board low prices on prescription drugs for humans, and pet medications are no exception. Discount referral site PharmacyChecker.com found that Costco beat out other major pharmacies on pricing for the most popular pet medications, with savings of up to 50% compared to the same drug at Walgreens or CVS.
Here are just a few examples of the savings you might find on common pet meds at Costco compared to average prices at other major in-store and online pharmacies:
| Medication | Quantity | Costco Price | Average Competitor Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heartgard Plus | 12 doses | $39.58 | $51.99 |
| Nexgard | 6 doses | $57.99 | $72.00 |
| Rimadyl 75mg | 60 ct | $37.58 | $47.29 |
| Dasuquin MSM | 150 ct | $69.99 | $89.99 |
| Enalapril 5mg | 30 ct | $4.00 | $11.99 |
As you can see, the savings at Costco can quickly add up, especially for ongoing monthly medications. According to Consumer Reports, Costco members who switch to the warehouse chain for their pet‘s generic prescriptions save an average of $100 per year compared to big-box pharmacies.
How is Costco able to consistently offer such low prices on pet meds compared to the vet and other retailers? It comes down to their overall business model and pharmacy pricing strategy.
Costco‘s pharmacy prices are based on a low, standardized markup on their acquisition cost for each drug. This markup is typically capped around 14% for all drugs they sell, regardless of the wholesale price. In contrast, markups at other pharmacies can vary widely by medication and location, but Consumer World found they average 30-35% at CVS and Walgreens. That means the same drug at Costco automatically starts with a lower base price.
On top of the lower margins, Costco also does not charge any prescription filling or dispensing fees, which can add $5-$15 to the cost of a single prescription at other pharmacies. Combine that with Costco‘s immense bulk buying power to get lower acquisition costs from suppliers in the first place, and you get the recipe for major savings compared to the competition.
One more key factor in Costco‘s low pet med pricing is their robust offering of generic medications. Over 90% of the pet meds sold by Costco are generics, according to company reports. These generics are significantly cheaper than the name-brand equivalents because they don‘t carry the same markup for research and development costs recouped by the manufacturer.
Costco‘s $5 generic pet med program covers many of the most common prescriptions for infections, pain, allergies, and other acute issues. Getting these cheap generics at Costco vs. name-brands at the vet can easily save you 50% or more per fill.
The Fine Print: Downsides of Costco Pet Meds
At this point, you‘re probably ready to transfer all of your pet‘s prescriptions to Costco and never look back. For many pet parents, doing so is an easy way to save big without compromising your companion‘s care. However, there are a few potential drawbacks to filling pet medications at Costco that are worth keeping in mind.
The biggest one: not all of your pet‘s prescribed medications may be available at Costco. Their pharmacies aim to stock the most commonly prescribed drugs for the most common conditions in cats and dogs. That covers a lot of ground – but if your pet has a very rare disease requiring a drug that isn‘t widely used in veterinary medicine, Costco likely won‘t carry it. Your vet clinic is still the best bet for filling those specialty scripts.
There‘s also the issue of convenience. One of the perks of getting medications directly from your vet is the ability to take care of the exam, prescription, and fulfillment all in one trip. Depending on your schedule and priorities, making a separate stop at Costco to get those meds filled might feel like a hassle that negates the cost savings. In that case, paying a bit more at the vet for a one-and-done visit could be worth it.
Finally, some pet owners may have concerns about getting their companion‘s medications from a big-box store instead of straight from the doctor‘s office. But you can rest assured that your pet‘s safety is just as much a priority at Costco as it is at the vet. Costco pharmacists are highly trained and follow strict protocols for confirming prescription authenticity and dosing instructions before filling any pet medication.
Jeff Werber, veterinarian to the stars and founder of Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, explains that the same FDA regulations govern pet medications whether they‘re dispensed by a veterinarian directly or filled by a retail pharmacy.
"As long as prescriptions are filled properly, it really doesn‘t matter whether the drug itself is coming from the veterinarian or an outside pharmacy," Werber says. "I believe it is completely safe to have prescriptions for pets filled at pharmacies as long as the prescription is valid."
In other words, 50 doses of Enalapril is 50 doses of Enalapril, regardless of whether you paid full price at the vet or got a nice discount at Costco. The pills are the same either way.
How to Fill Pet Prescriptions at Costco
If you‘re convinced that transferring your pet meds to Costco is the right move for your budget, the process is fairly simple and straightforward. The first step is to get a valid prescription from your veterinarian. They can either hand you a hard copy to bring to the Costco pharmacy, or send the prescription electronically directly to your Costco pharmacy of choice.
If it‘s a pet medication you‘ve previously filled elsewhere, like at the vet clinic, you‘ll need to request a formal transfer of the prescription to Costco. You can do this by bringing your most recent prescription label to the Costco pharmacy and requesting that they contact your vet to authorize the transfer. Alternatively, you can have your vet initiate the transfer by sending the prescription to Costco on your behalf.
Most pet prescriptions are only good for a certain number of refills, after which you‘ll need to get a new prescription from your vet. Make sure you know how many refills are authorized on your pet‘s medication so you can plan checkups accordingly. Otherwise, you might show up to Costco for a refill only to find out a new script from the vet is required first.
Once your pet‘s prescription is on file at Costco, you have a few options for filling it. If you need the medication right away (and it‘s in stock), you can request it to be filled while you shop and then pick it up before you leave. If it‘s a recurring medication, you can sign up for the Costco Pharmacy auto refill program, which will automatically fill and ship your pet‘s meds to your door on a scheduled basis so you never run out.
One final tip: if you do go the Costco route for pet meds, I recommend setting a calendar reminder a week before you‘ll need a refill. That way you can ensure you have a fresh, valid prescription from your vet on file in time, especially if it‘s a drug Costco doesn‘t always have on hand. A little proactive planning can avoid a last-minute scramble or an expired script at refill time.
Exclusive Savings for Costco Members
Remember earlier when I mentioned additional discounts on pet meds for Costco members only? It‘s through the Costco Member Prescription Program (CMPP), which can provide some valuable savings for subscribers who use the warehouse club to fill medications for the whole family – furry members included.
The CMPP is a discount program that provides members with reduced prices on all prescription medications not covered by insurance. It‘s totally free to join for Costco members, and easy to use – just tell the pharmacy staff you want to enroll and they‘ll get you set up. Costco doesn‘t publicly disclose specific prices or discounts available through CMPP, but many members report saving an additional 10-20% on pet meds compared to the already low non-member pricing.
It‘s an easy way for frequent Costco shoppers to boost their savings even more, especially if you have multiple pets or family members on recurring meds not covered by your insurance plan. If your family doesn‘t have a Costco membership, it may even be reason enough to consider joining, since the $60 annual fee can quickly pay for itself between grocery and pet med savings.
Of course, you‘ll have to crunch the numbers based on your personal situation to see if getting pet meds at Costco is worth the membership cost. But for many multi-pet households, it‘s a no-brainer.
The Future of Pet Med Fulfillment
As more pet owners catch on to cost-saving opportunities at retail pharmacies like Costco, vet practices are starting to feel the pinch on a previously reliable revenue stream. A 2019 survey by Veterinary Practice News found that 83% of practice owners felt online and big-box pharmacies were a significant factor in declining clinic income from prescription sales.
But from the consumer perspective, being able to shop around for the best possible price on pet meds is unequivocally a good thing. And major retailers are responding to increasing demand for affordable pet medications by expanding their offerings. Costco has more than tripled the number of pet meds in stock at its pharmacies since 2015, and other big players like Walmart and Walgreens are also growing their pet prescription business to compete.
Beyond brick-and-mortar pharmacies, the world of online pet pharmacies is also exploding. Sites like Chewy, PetCareRx, and 1-800-PetMeds offer huge selections of prescription and over-the-counter pet meds, often at prices that match or beat Costco and other discounters. Many also offer convenient perks like fast, free shipping, easy online ordering, and even vet consultations.
However, these online pet pharmacies still can‘t match the degree of personal service and support you get from an in-person visit to your vet or the Costco pharmacy counter. There‘s also a higher risk of receiving counterfeit or expired pet meds from less-than-reputable online suppliers. But for tech-savvy pet owners willing to do a bit of extra research, legitimate online pet pharmacies can be another source of savings to add to the mix.
At the end of the day, what matters most is that you‘re able to access the medications that keep your pet healthy at a price point that fits your household budget. And in an era of ever-increasing pet care costs, having more options for affordable pet meds is a welcome change.
Whether you opt for the convenience and attention of your vet, the steep savings at Costco, or the vast selection of online pet pharmacies, the power to make an informed choice as a pet med consumer is squarely in your hands. Choose wisely, and your pet and your wallet will thank you!
