Cheaper Penicillin for Your Ailing Pooch

摘要

SOMETIMES A GREAT NO-tion isn't good enough. Ten years ago, Dr. Marc A. Puleo quit his job as an anesthesiologist to launch a business selling discount medications for pets.t Customers loved the savings, just as he figured they would when he first heard a nurse complain about the high price her veterinarian charged for antibiotics for her dog. But vets hated PetMed Express, which under-priced them. They often refused to write prescriptions if they knew pet owners planned to walk out the door and then fill them at PetMed. Vets also complained to pharmacy regulators that PetMed's in-house veterinarians prescribed drugs without examining pets. By 2001, the startup was under investigation in 10 states and losing more than 50,000 dollars a week. Puleo needed help.