A price cap will be placed on pet prescriptions, the Competition and Markets Authority has announced following a three-year investigation.
Pet owners will pay a maximum of £21 for their first prescription and £12.50 for any other medicines within the same consultation under the changes, after the CMA found some were being overcharged for commonly prescribed medicines from vet practices.
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Under the major overhaul of the sector, vets will also have to tell customers about savings they could make by buying medicines online, using those prescriptions.
Average prices of vet services have risen by 63% between 2016 and 2023, which is much faster than general inflation, the report found.
Martin Coleman, chair of the independent inquiry group, said the reforms will make a “real difference to the millions of pet owners who want the best for their pets but struggle to find the practice, treatment and price that meets their needs”.
What else is changing?
Practices will be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options.
A comparison site will also be set up to allow pet owners to assess different vet practices more easily.
Vets will have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business with signs on site and online.
Practices will have to provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more – plus an itemised bill. Emergencies will be the only exception to this rule.
All of these changes will be legally enforced by 23 September.
Six ‘large veterinary practices’ singled out
The inquiry found that some issues were “specific” to six large veterinary groups. These are CVS, IVC, Linnaeus, Medivet, Pets at Home and VetPartners.
Coleman said: “We’re not shying away from this. Most of them have higher average prices than independent practices, and, in…
