My parents need to buy flea medicine for their cat. They want to buy Frontline from Wal-Mart. I told them that you can’t buy Frontline at Wal-Mart. They then produced a package of Frontline they bought for the dog from Wal-Mart. It was, in fact, Frontline, and looks exactly like what I’ve previously purchased from my vet. I am, therefore, confident that my parents’ local Wal-Mart sells Frontline.
I looked at the Frontline website, and they still say they only sell through vets. Is the Wal-Mart stuff the same formula? Is it properly acquired, or is it like the salon products sold at discount and drug stores that is acquired through pseudo-illegitimate means? I know that the manufacturers of those products make a big deal about how they do not guarantee quality if the product is not purchased from a salon.
I’ve put this in GQ because I am interested in the quality, legitimacy, and source of the Frontline, not a debate on Wal-Mart. Does anyone know what’s up with this and if this stuff would be as safe and effective as that from the vet?
The patent on fipronil (ingredient in Frontline) recently expired, allowing competitors to make it. So it is legitimate; the main ingredient is the same; but I don’t know whether, aside from that, it’s the same formulation or the same effectiveness.
We use Frontline on our two dogs and we always complaing about how expensive it is. We also saw it at Wal Mart for the first time a month or two ago. The packaging was similiar but either the name or something else was a bit different. IIRC the name was different, but the graphics on the packaging were exactly the same as the name brand Frontline. We were confused, was this Frontline or a cheap knock off?
Then I read an article on the Web. I believe it was a Yahoo article on saving money. It explained that the patent for Frontline has expired and it was now possible to purchase it as a generic. Much the same way that perscription medication can be purchased as a generic. It is exactly the same ingredients and except for the packaging and possibly the name there is no difference except for price.
We have used the product from Wal Mart and haven’t noticed any difference between it and the Frontline we purchased at the vet. In fact, the enclosed materials were the same as was the little tube the product comes in. Same great protection, new lower price!
Exactly this. The Wal-Mart version is called PetArmor (and there’s at least one other fipronil product on the market OTC but I can’t recall the name) and the active ingredient - fipronil - is the same concentration as in the name-brand Frontline. (I am looking at both packages right now.)
Advantage is also available OTC now, although it’s a little pricier.
Thanks for your answers so far. It looks like there might be some confusion. I have seen the package she bought for the dog–it is Frontline Plus, not PetArmor or another brand with similar packaging.
I did some more googling and found that Frontline Plus is also available at Target and Costco, at least online. My mother said she saw Advantage at Wal-Mart, too, but she doesn’t like it. Here’s a link to Frontline Plus on the Wal-Mart website Robot or human?
This is either Frontline, or a convincing counterfeit. I see the following as the most likely possibilities:
Merial is now supplying regular Frontline to Wal-Mart;
Merial is supplying a product under the brand name of Frontline to Wal-Mart (and possibly other retailers), but this is a different formula than sold by veterinarians; or
Wal-Mart is selling regular Frontline, but is not obtaining it legitimately from Merial. These are “diverted” products, with no guarantee of quality from the manufacturer and an uncertain history.
As I said in the OP, Merial’s website still says it’s only available from veterinarians. I found a February 2010 article discussing Bayer opening sales of Advantage to regular retailers, at least partly to prevent diversion. The article says Frontline appears to be the most diverted flea product in the country. I can’t find anything that says Merial has opened sales up to discount retailers.
Poking around online, I found message boards for vets and sales reps. They seem to think this is a diverted product, or, more cynically, that the product is being sold with the full knowledge of Merial. I think they are suggesting something between 1 and 3, but it’s kind of hard to follow what they’re saying since they seem to be industry insiders with information I don’t have.
So, if this is a “gray market” product, is there any danger in using it?
I think Meriel is supplying Frontline to Wal-Mart, Costco, pet store chains, etc. I’d be surprised if there was anything shady about this…Meriel and the stores selling Frontline are huge international companies; maybe I’m naive but I don’t see them being underhand about this.