Frontline/Merial Drug Company and my vet

My daughter brought a flier that was mailed to her "From her vet with important information for her pets". Inside was advertising for Merial veterinary products and coupons for a discount to be redeemed at vet's office when purchasing their products.

What was wrong with this picture.... the envelope had her home address and the return address was from the local vets office. It was postmarked in a state halfway across the country. It was sent by the drug company....

SOOOOO.... how did this company get her name and address? The vets office provided the drug company with computer files of their clients along with financial records indicating what purchases the clients had made for their pets. My daughter had purchased Frontline, but never at this vets office. She has however spent a good deal of money on a rescue poodle she adopted fairly recently.

I confronted my vet this morning and showed him this advertisement... he in turn spoke with the office manager and this will no longer happen at my animal hospital. The office manager then came back and spoke to me a bit about "how" this worked and that I was the first person to complain in the couple of years that they have been providing this info. I told her it's the first time I've heard of this practice. She was pretty perturbed with me for raising a stink. I about flipped inside when she stated that they had given copies to the computer records including what products were purchased by clients and services paid for. The computer records were turned over to a drug company via computer disks. She said they were not paid for the client list and that the company promised to not sell it either. Well, I say they were paid for the list via the incentives offered by the company and I'm PO'd about it!!

Merial/Frontline/Heartgard company gives tremendous incentive bonuses to the animal hospitals and the staff to try to increase their sales. The entire hospital staff is treated to meals at nice restaurants, gifts for their pets, super discounts on their products, etc. I would prefer the company provide their products at a more reasonable cost so that the pet owners would benefit more.

If your vet's office is computerized and sells Merial products, Frontline, Heartgard or others, I urge you to call your vets office and ask that they not give your information to the drug companys or outside parties. I would like this practice to stop!

Perhaps I'm wrong and this is a perfectly normal practice and other pet owners like myself should mind our own business. But, the drug company uses deception to try to make you think their mail comes from your vet, and they solicit confidential (in my opinion) information without the pet owners knowlege.

Am I out of line for raising a ruckus? I can be persistent and will be a tick in their sides as long as I know the practice continues.

I'd be ticked too......there's no excuse for anyone handing out your personal info without your knOwledge or permission, IMO.

I would more than get mad, I'd get even.
I'd call local consumer groups, I'd put it on every pet bulletin board in the world, I'd call my lawyer.

I do not think the sale of private personal information done in this manner is ethical.

Originally Posted by lucille

I would more than get mad, I'd get even.
I'd call local consumer groups, I'd put it on every pet bulletin board in the world, I'd call my lawyer.

I do not think the sale of private personal information done in this manner is ethical.

I totally agree with you Lucille. I actually talked to my wife about this subject. Apparently it is rather common. Her practice will not do it, since they value their clients privacy, but she named me at least three other practices that do.