Vet prescription fees are being capped at £21 as new legal requirements force veterinary practices to provide clearer information about prices, medicines and treatment costs. The changes have been introduced by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) following an investigation into the veterinary sector.
The CMA found that prices had been increasing at almost twice the rate of inflation. Its remedies became legally binding on Tuesday, with veterinary businesses given up to 12 months to introduce all of the required changes.
Vet Prescription Fees and New Price Rules
Under the new rules, veterinary practices must tell clients when cheaper medicines are available online. They must also publish comprehensive price lists covering standard services, including consultations, common procedures and cremation options.
Businesses will also have to provide clearer information about their ownership. Practices must state whether they operate independently or are part of a larger veterinary group.
Information about prices and ownership will be made available through the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ “Find a Vet” service. That information can also be shared with third-party comparison websites, allowing pet owners to compare local practices.
The changes are intended to give customers more information before they decide where and how to pay for veterinary treatment.
Veterinary Treatment Estimates Must Be Clearer
A written estimate must be provided before treatment expected to cost £500 or more. The estimate must include aftercare costs, and customers must also receive an itemised bill.
Emergency treatment is the only exception to the requirement for an advance estimate. The exact deadlines for implementing the different measures depend on the regulation involved and the size of the veterinary group.
CMA panel chair Martin Coleman said the changes would help pet owners understand veterinary prices.
However, some independent vets have warned that the new requirements could increase costs elsewhere. Cate Titterton, who runs an independent veterinary service in Saltburn, told the BBC that practices still need to maintain fully stocked pharmacies.
She said that if practices could no longer make a small profit from medicines, they would need to generate income through other services. “So, things like services, consultations, surgeries – unfortunately, those prices are very, very likely to have to go up,” she said.
Titterton also said she believed larger veterinary groups and corporate businesses could emerge as the “one clear winner” from the changes.
CMA Vet Rules Face Independent Practice Concerns
Vet Cat Henstridge welcomed the requirement for businesses to identify whether they belong to larger groups. However, she pointed out that larger groups had not been required to change their ownership of clinics.
Henstridge also advised pet owners concerned about the cost of treatment to discuss their financial situation openly with their vet. She said veterinary medicine is private healthcare and that owning a pet carries responsibility for paying for its care.
British Veterinary Association President Dr Rob Williams said veterinary practices were already largely following several of the CMA’s remedies, including measures involving complaints, routine treatment estimates and prescription costs.
Williams said the association had repeatedly told the CMA that its remedies should not disproportionately affect smaller independent practices. He added that the organisation had raised concerns where it believed this could happen.
Pet Owners Seek More Transparent Vet Bills
The reforms come as some pet owners continue to raise concerns about the cost and transparency of veterinary treatment. Clive Di Giorgio contacted BBC Your Voice after he said he had been quoted thousands of pounds for cancer treatment for his dog, Louis.
Di Giorgio said a vet had told him a rash on Louis’s back was “definitely” a sign of cancer. After visiting another veterinary practice, however, he said he was told the rash was not cancerous.
According to Di Giorgio, treatment using steroids, antibiotics and a spray cleared the rash within two weeks. He said the experience had left him feeling that some veterinary practices were more focused on money than animals.
The new rules are designed to give pet owners greater access to veterinary prices, treatment estimates and information about available medicines as the sector adjusts to the CMA’s legally binding requirements.