ComplaintsforRivers Veterinary Urgent Care LLC

• Initial Complaint

  06/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We brought our cat here for blood in her urine. She was positive for a uti and it was treated. The front desk noticed her thyroid levels were high but the vet never flagged it as an issue and said they would get more information and get back to us. It was then communicated they believed she was just very stressed out. Based off of thyroid levels, she should have been medicated as soon as possible. Over a month later, I am still trying to get her treated. Our local vet couldn’t see her for over two weeks so I reached out to this vet to fill her meds since they we should have been the ones to diagnose her. First I’m told I can’t have the medication, it’s the wrong dose. I say I can split the pill in half. They say no, absorbtion issue. Best if I get the meds from them. They give me the same thing I was ordering from chewy and tell me to split the pill in half. The meds were $0.16 a pill from Chewy. They were over a dollar a pill from this location. All the while still telling us they will fill the Chewy order. Then we get radio silence. I call again, they say they can’t order for her in that amount. The first order can only be 30-45 days. I say you already overcharged me for 30 days worth. They say this is standard procedure and that they will now not fill the request for meds at all. My only recourse is to get them from them. I have three animals and a new baby to care for. I cannot believe the runaround and incredibly poor treatment.

  Business response

  06/11/2024

  **** *** **** ****** ******** ****** *** * **** *** ***** *** ********* *** ***** *** ******** ** ********* ** ******* ***** ********* ****** *** ***
  Complaint ID: ********
  Dear Better Business Bureau,
  We are writing in response to the complaint submitted by Ms. ******* ***** concerning her cat, ******. We appreciate the opportunity to address her concerns and provide clarity on the situation.
  Ms. ***** brought ****** to our clinic for a suspected urinary tract infection (UTI) and a general wellness check, as she had recently adopted ******, a geriatric cat. ****** was reported to be eating, drinking, and having normal bowel movements, with no vomiting. During the visit, we recommended a senior blood work panel and a urinalysis to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of ******'s health.
  Upon receiving the lab results three days later, we informed Ms. ***** that ****** did indeed have a UTI. Additionally, the blood work indicated potential hyperthyroidism. We prescribed an antibiotic to treat the UTI and advised a follow-up to visit in two weeks to retest the urine and ensure the infection had resolved.
  At the follow-up visit, the UTI had cleared, and we recommended starting ****** on thyroid medication. Ms. ***** opted to obtain the medication through an external pharmacy, Chewy. The prescription sent to Chewy was for 5mg tablets, whereas we had prescribed 2.5mg. Consequently, the request was initially declined, and we suggested Ms. ***** pick up the medication from our clinic where we had 2.5mg tablets available. 
  We acknowledge that this is where confusion and miscommunication may have occurred. Our technician should have verified with Chewy whether their 5mg tablets were scored and could be accurately halved to meet the prescribed 2.5mg dosage. Instead, we recommended that Ms. ***** obtain the medication from our clinic. Unfortunately, the 2.5mg tablets were on backorder at the time, and we ended up providing her with the 5mg scored tablets to ensure ******'s treatment could proceed without further delay.
  Ms. ***** subsequently called back upset because she wanted a larger quantity of pills due to the higher cost at our clinic compared to the online pharmacy. We explained that we do not approve filling larger amounts on the first prescription because we need to retest in 4 weeks to ensure the dosage is correct. As a privately owned practice, we cannot compete with the pricing of corporate-owned online pharmacies, which benefit from better pricing from manufacturers.
  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this caused Ms. *****. We recognize that there was a miscommunication regarding the available prescription, and we have since refunded the amount of the medication which was $27.30.  It is unfortunate that Ms. ***** did not call to discuss her concerns with me prior to this BBB complaint, as I would have been more than happy to investigate and address her concerns immediately. Today was the first time I was made aware of the situation. I have also called Ms. ***** and left a message in the hope of resolving this matter; however, I have not heard back yet.
  To ensure that such a situation does not happen again, we have implemented the following measures:
  Enhanced Verification Process: Our technicians are now required to verify the specifics of external pharmacy prescriptions, including whether tablets are scored and can be split accurately.
  Improved Communication Protocols: We have updated our communication protocols to ensure clear and concise information is relayed to clients regarding prescription details and availability.
  Our primary goal is always the health and well-being of our patients, and we strive to provide the best care and service to our clients. We regret any distress this situation may have caused and appreciate Ms. *****'s understanding as we worked through these challenges.
  Please feel free to contact us if you need any further information or clarification.
  Sincerely,
  Becky F******
  Hospital Administrator
  ************* ****** ********** ****** **** *** ******** *** **** *** *****
  

• Initial Complaint

  12/14/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On August 6, 2021 I called to make appointment or get information to get my sick cat seen. I was told they would be open the next day at 9:00 am and that animals that were in need of urgent care would be seen first and told to call when I arrived. I also explained that the cat was a rescue and even after 7 years was still pretty feral. I arrived at 8:15 a.m. on August 7, 2021. I called repeatedly until someone answered and I informed them that I was in the parking lot. I called throughout the day to remind them that I was still there. At 2:15 I was finally called to come in at which time they did an exam and informed me that the cat would need surgery. I was called to the front desk at which time I was told that the estimate could be $1,300.00. I was asked to pay $1,000.00. I used my Care Credit and they charged the card the $1,000.00. I was then told it would be at least another wait of approximately 3 hours. They called at approximately 6:00 p.m. and let me know the cat was ready. I went in and was told the bill would be $608.09 to my relief. Then the clerical woman informed me that she forgot the cost of the blood work and proceeded to add that to the $608.09. The cost of was $205.00 which brought the total I owed to $813.09 with fees $828.51. At that time they refunded $186.91 that was put back on my Care Credit Card. As I was leaving the Vet tech gave me instructions and medication for the cat. At that time I was told never to bring her back. 5-7 days later I was called to check on the cat and was told that I still owed an additional $600.00. I was told it was a computer error. I then started receiving bills and they added finance charges. I received two additional bills and they added finance charges each time. I don't feel as though I owe the $600.00 or the finance charges that accrued in addition. I received a letter from a Collection agency demanding I pay $623.09. I would appreciate any help to resolve this matter.

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