Ponymeds Message

[LKF]

I know that many COTH folks purchase from Ponymeds.com. I just received this email from them and thought I'd share it:

This is just a quick note to let you know that we will (soon) no
longer be able to ship your orders to you from anywhere in the US.
Once our current stock runs out, we'll be shipping all our orders from
India to our customers. This is very important because you will have
to anticipate your needs for our product at least 25 days in advance.
If you can build in more time, I would do so, just to be on the safe
side.

There's nothing more frustrating that to run out during a particular
course you are giving your horse and have it delayed by a week or
two, while waiting for your new shipment.

Also, please don't worry about over ordering. If you have excess
supplies, we will buy them back from you (as long as they are
unopened). So, don't be conservative in your ordering. I'd rather you
have some excess on hand than having to wait for more. Especially
since it will not be wasted if you don't happen to need it since we'll
buy it back.

If you have an immediate need, I would order VERY soon because once
our current stock is out, here in the US, that's it. You'll have to
wait the new shipping time of 25 days or so. (It most likely will come
closer to 16 to 20 days, but we are quoting 25 to be on the safe
side.)

Also, IF you don't need any now and you're ordering for 25 days from
now, please let us know that when you order so we know not to send you
your order from here. We'll save that for people who are in desperate
need now, for an order.

Thanks for your time and best wishes!!

Dan Sherman
PonyMeds (.) com

[JMurray]

This sounds like a scam e-mail. Are you sure it actually came from PonyMeds.com? I think I am going to call them and also check the website and see if it says the same thing. This is a bit odd.


Checked website, nothing posted there. I will call tomorrow and check this out. If this is what they are going to start doing then I will not be using them anymore.

[LKF]

I checked their site too and saw nothing updated. I thought it was strange, but do remember it being stated that they purchase their drugs via India. I won't refer or do business with them in the future should the email message be true.

[kcmel]

I checked their site too and saw nothing updated. I thought it was strange, but do remember it being stated that they purchase their drugs via India. I won't refer or do business with them in the future should the email message be true.

Why? It sounds like it may be a regulatory change. Probably not the fault of the distributor.

[Altamont Sport Horses]

Why? It sounds like it may be a regulatory change. Probably not the fault of the distributor.

Yes, this is what I thought as well.

Just went to the site to order. Once you get to the shopping cart it says that all orders are shipped directly from India (that is where they got their Omeprazole in the first place). It no longer gives the option to have it shipped quickly so I guess the email was true.

[Mary in Area 1]

My guess is that Merial is on to them and is trying to stop them by shutting down their US shipping operation.

Big Pharmaceutical wins again!

[Warmbloodmom]

I just checked on where my order is that was place the last week of January. Dan said they are having a "legal tussle" right now, whatever that may mean!

[Warmbloodmom]

Ponymeds has been shut down, per Dan. He emailed me with this:

In case you haven't seen, our site at pony meds (.com) is down. That
looks to be like a permanent thing. The powers that be have spoken and
they don't like the fact that such a cheap alternative to the paste is
available. There's more to it than that, but not worth the space here
to explain.

So, I'm working on making sure this is offered elsewhere for my
customers to be able to obtain. I will update you when I know more.

Meanwhile, you can continue to call me and place your orders that way.
But as I mentioned in my last email a few days ago, we can only ship
this from India, so please plan ahead. It will typically take 20 or so
days to arrive.

Thanks for your patronage and I hope to do right by my customers as I
know many of you depend on this lesser expensive option, especially in
today's economy.

[dalpal]

I've never used PonyMeds...but that is just infuriating. Once again, big pharmaceutical company decides that they have to have ALL the profits and damn those who can't afford it....because who cares. I doubt very seriously that this little company did much damage to these asshats profits. I think alot of people were skeptical of PonyMeds...but I guess it must have been working.....therefore, damn Merial decided that they couldn't have that.

Does anyone know when they lose their Patent on their product?

[AKB]

I would worry about the quality of the meds if they are coming directly from India and not going to a US company to have quality testing. You may want to check with the FDA to see if you can get any information.

[iownapaint]

I would worry about the quality of the meds if they are coming directly from India and not going to a US company to have quality testing. You may want to check with the FDA to see if you can get any information.

They were made in India in a plant making US pharmaceuticals. Walmart brand Prilosec to be exact. The plant was FDA inspected and ran under their rules.

The stuff did work and it was affordable for the masses. I hope people continue to order from him.

[flyingchange]

Yeah, I'm beginning to get a bit infuriated to. That's a good word for it. I just finished a 45 day treatment with ponymeds omep for 2 TB mares. Two days after coming off the treatment pills (she was getting 3 pills a day), one of the mares is now off feed completely. Not even wanting her alfalfa. When she was on the omep from PM, she had a huge appetite. Cleaned her bucket and all her hay and riding her had become much easier. I haven't ridden her since taking her off the omep and now I dont think I should.

I'm really pissed that because of Merial, I am now going to have to wait almost a month to get a new shipment of the pills from PM.

As far as quality goes. India has been supplying much of the world with otherwise out-of-reach but lifesaving therapies for years now. If it weren't for India, many, many babies and people would be dead. The thinking that the manufacturing process in India is inferior to that in the US - that's exactly what the big pharm industry sells to you. It's called propoganda.

[iownapaint]

Flying Change -

I don't have a lot of the ponymeds pills on hand, but I do have some. If you need them pronto I could lend you them or you could buy them from me. I'm not using them right now and show season is far enough off that I shouldn't need any for a while.

Let me know.

[flyingchange]

iownapaint,

that is so cool of you! I will send you a PM.

[Ghazzu]

I suspect that the FDA may have had an issue with an unlicensed pharmaceutical distributor of bulk drugs.
No need to invoke a corporate conspiracy.


(Please note: I despise the way Merial extorts $$ with a number of their products, so save your breath if you're planning on accusing me of being an apologist for pharmaceutical giants.)

[flyingchange]

Well, whether it is because of FDA actually doing their job in the interest of public health (that would be newsworthy) or because of Merial, or both, the point is that it SUCKS.

[BornToRide]

Well, whether it is because of FDA actually doing their job in the interest of public health (that would be newsworthy) or because of Merial, or both, the point is that it SUCKS.
I sure does - could not agree more. Perhaps Merial should price their products more affordably.......perhaps than they sell more to offset the what they might lose by lowering the prices. As usual penny wise, pound foolish - everything or nothing. Why can't we all share more??

Well, there are always natural treatments that may work too :-)

[deltawave]

Perhaps Merial should price their products more affordably.

Look at it from their perspective--why should they? :no: They have everyone convinced that their product and their product ONLY is effective, and philanthropy is not part of the business plan. What they have are some good data on the drug, which is inarguably effective. What they BANK on is the idea that their "secret carrier" is the only way to get the drug into the horse. That's where their profit lies--there's no money to be made any more on omeprazole.

It's an ugly part of the pharmaceutical business, for sure. But (and I'm with Ghazzu, please do not interpret this as any sort of statement of full support) without the drug companies we'd have no drugs. It is an uneasy thing at best.

[BornToRide]

Of course you'd speak out for them - you are pro drug companies ;)

If the drug manufactureres are so worried about their profits and breaking even, perhaps they should curb their political lobbying and the money spend on advertising :)

[rcloisonne]

Perhaps Merial should price their products more affordably.......
They have lowered the price. In 2001 it couldn't be had for less than $50/syringe. I agree Merial could do a landslide business if they lowered it even further to say, $10/syringe. ;)

Well, there are always natural treatments that may work too :-)
And the keyword here is MAY. Unlike some other issues open to highly subjective interpretation, it's relatively easy to prove if an ulcer med is working or not. Scope the horse before and after treatment. :winkgrin:

[rcloisonne]

Yeah, I'm beginning to get a bit infuriated to. That's a good word for it. I just finished a 45 day treatment with ponymeds omep for 2 TB mares. Two days after coming off the treatment pills (she was getting 3 pills a day), one of the mares is now off feed completely. Not even wanting her alfalfa.
Which strongly suggests the Ponymeds stuff isn't healing those ulcers.

[deltawave]

Did you READ what I wrote? How do you interpret that as "speaking out" for the drug companies? I find the practice despicable, but am not living in la-la land where I delude myself that they're out to "share". Jeez, maybe go back and read what I actually WROTE before you jump to conclusions, eh?

[flyingchange]

Which strongly suggests the Ponymeds stuff isn't healing those ulcers.

Well, you could be right. Or it could be that the omeprazole from PM was working and she was taken off too soon. Aren't some horses are on US FDA-approved omeprazole (Gastroguard, Ulcerguard) for quite a long time before their ulcers are cleared? Not sure as I haven't done a lot of in depth research on it. I think there's one poster here (orangehorse?) who had her horse on ulcerguard for at least 6 mos?

In the case of this mare - she is 17 years old. Was on the track until she was nine and had been stuck out in a field by herself for a year (no feed/grass) by the time I got her when she was 12. In between she had a baby and then got sold off to the field. She has always (since I've had her) been ulcer-y, but I have not treated her until recently simply due to economics and not understanding the connection btw behavior issues/anxiety and ulcers. Since having her on the ponymeds omep, she has started cleaning up her feed bucket and eating all of her alfalfa hay. Has gained a lot of weight, coat looks so much better, and is much happier under saddle and in general.

I did not have her scoped prior to putting her on the ponymeds omep; so I can't say definitely whether she even had ulcers to begin with. It's all just speculating. But I am not imagining the fact that she was cleaning up all feed/hay while on it and started to look so much better.

You could be right that they weren't helping her. I kinda think they were and that if she is on them for a longer period of time, that we might have better success with actually eradicating them. But that's all just speculating - I've got very little experience/education in this area! :)

But what I do have a bit of experience in is drugs (AZT) manufactured in India and sold on to African countries (Botswana, Uganda, Kenya) to make HIV treatment feasible. It saved a lot of lives. A LOT. To the chagrin of GWK. The whole R&D argument is hard to swallow when US taxdollars subsidize and therefore make possible that R&D in the first place. But you don't want to get me started on that. At least not on this board.

[enjoytheride]

Holy Crap BTR way to not read a single word and jump off the deep end.

[2horseowner]

Merial's patent is effective until 2012. Until then, we have to pay $$ for their products. Hopefully it will come down in price like wormers did.

[deltawave]

I wonder what the deal is between Ulcerguard and Gastroguard in terms of patent protection. Same stuff, different indications. One's not even by prescription. It would seem the time would be "ripe" for another company to undercut both of them and sell the stuff cheaper.

[BornToRide]

Did you READ what I wrote? How do you interpret that as "speaking out" for the drug companies? I find the practice despicable, but am not living in la-la land where I delude myself that they're out to "share". Jeez, maybe go back and read what I actually WROTE before you jump to conclusions, eh?I apologize - it was Ghazzu who talked about corporate conspiracy, which I think corporations are quite capable of and have demontrated this well just recently again. You know how much I despise most pharmaceutical companies' business practices . :(

[dalpal]

I wonder what the deal is between Ulcerguard and Gastroguard in terms of patent protection. Same stuff, different indications. One's not even by prescription. It would seem the time would be "ripe" for another company to undercut both of them and sell the stuff cheaper.

Very interesting thought...does make you wonder.

[War Admiral]

Back on topic, well darn - I was just about to place my first order from ponymeds. Could someone please PM me the phone number to use?? I would be most appreciative!

[Warmbloodmom]

you have a pm'd number!

[enjoytheride]

It seems like the company has done a good job of making people believe that gastro is the only effective method due to their special secret formula. Further, how many times have people asked if Ulcer and Gastro are the same thing or asked if they was a way to get Gastro from a source besides their vet?

Pretty effective technique if people believe that Ulcer and Gastro are different products while you say that they are the same thing on the tubes!

[deltawave]

I'll admit the topic is only of tangential interest to me, because (touch wood) I haven't got any ulcery horses, but out of curiosity I went looking and it was pretty difficult to sort the GG vs. UG difference out by myself! (well, there IS no difference, but that wasn't obvious) Definitely there is a lot of confusion on the subject. Promulgated by Merial as part of some evil scheme? I dunno. I tend to not be in the "vast consipiracy" camp on most things. :)

It is pretty common for drug companies to flog the heck out of their "labeled indications" to make their product sound better. They literally CAN'T recommend their product (legally) for something for which the product has no official indication. But that doesn't mean they have to be up front about an aspect of the product that would make the generic or a competitor's product look better, either. It's a game, and certainly isn't the sole domain of pharmaceuticals. Any product that is sold anywhere has got a clever sales force that emphasizes the pros and minimizes the cons. Or is quick to point out how their product is "different" or "better".

Reading through advertisements and product information for a new drug is something that requires one to have all their wits about them. Scientific illiterates (I love that term, thank you to the person who coined it via PM) or the easily convinced need not apply. :lol: Shouldn't it be easier and more user friendly? Uhh, yeah, it should. But it won't be, as long as people with far better advertising brains than mine come to the conclusion that the current means of marketing is working just fine.

What can one person do? Think critically. Read ads with skepticism. Challenge claims. Demand data. Read the studies with a critical eye. You know . . . the scientific method, for which I am so roundly criticized every time I mention it. :lol: Yes, it applies to Big Bad Pharma, too, and not just herbs and spices. :)

[enjoytheride]

So has someone emailed the ponymeds people to find out if the problem is the pharmacutical company or the FDA?

On a side note I always get a kick out of all the advertising and how companies must list the side effect in the commercials. One handy drug has the side effects of: swollowing your own tongue, sleep driving, sleep walking, and sleep eating. Ummm what?

[deltawave]

They have to list what is reported as a side effect, even if it's the mythical "swallowing your own tongue". :lol:

It's fun to read through them--headache remedies with "headache" as the most-reported side effect, etc. :p

[Cotner]

Could someone PM the message to me also? I was about to place my first order.

Thanks.

[enjoytheride]

Well, I was most upset by sleep eating and sleep driving. WTF! How is that even a side effect?

[deltawave]

ANYTHING that people report has to be declared if you file an adverse drug reaction form. ANYTHING. If they hit their head on the cabinet door because they slipped on a banana peel while using the poison ivy medicine, that's reportable. Poison ivy medicine "has been associated with" concussion. I'm only being very slightly facetious--literally anything and everything that someone might feel, even once, even if it's VERY obviously unrelated, gets reported on ADR forms (potentially) or gets asked about when drugs are in phase III clinical trials. It's really quite silly, sometimes.

[TheOrangeOne]

My sleeping pills have a terrile side effect that even reuires a warning sticker on the bottle: "WARNING: May cause drowsiness". REALLY? :lol:

As for this whole thing, sad. I am the one with all the gastrogard- the total is now into 5 figures:eek:, and I was going to order some of the ponymeds stuff just as a daily preventative type thing.

[Warmbloodmom]

COTNER, you have a PM!