Vet prescription fees capped under rule changes

Vet prescription charges to be capped under new rule changes

Prescription fees charged by vets will be limited to £21 as part of a series of changes that practices will be legally obliged to introduce over the next few months.

Vets will also have to inform clients when cheaper medicine is available online, provide price estimates before treatment, and display price lists for services under the updated rules.

The competition watchdog has now put the measures into effect after its investigation into the sector found that prices had been increasing at almost twice the rate of inflation.

But critics argue the changes will hit independent vets the hardest and mainly benefit the six firms that own more than two-thirds of practices.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) made its remedies for the sector legally binding from Tuesday, and vets have up to 12 months to implement all the changes.

Alongside the cap on prescription fees, the other changes include:

Vet practices must publish a "comprehensive" price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, and cremation options

A written estimate must be given in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more, including aftercare costs, along with an itemised bill. Emergencies are the only exception to this

Vet businesses must make clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business

To help pet owners compare local practices, price and ownership information will be available through the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons' "Find a Vet" service, which will pass the data on to third-party comparison sites.

The timetable for when vets must introduce the changes depends on the specific regulation and the size of the group.

"The changes that are being required are changes that will help inform pet owners about prices," said CMA panel chair Martin Coleman.

Cate Titterton believes vets will have to raise prices for things like consultations and surgeries

However, Cate Titterton, the owner of an independent vet service in Saltburn, told BBC Your Voice that the changes will make visits to the vets more expensive for customers.

"Veterinary practices still have to have a pharmacy that is fully stocked, so if we're not making that tiny profit on the drugs, we're going to have to make some profit elsewhere.

"So, things like services, consultations, surgeries – unfortunately, those prices are very, very likely to have to go up."

She believes there is "one clear winner" from this - larger vet groups and the corporates.

British Veterinary Association President Dr Rob Williams said veterinary practices were already largely complying with the CMA's remedies, including the orders on complaints handling, price estimates for routine procedures and prescription costs.

"We've been clear with the CMA throughout its investigation that it must ensure its remedies do not disproportionately impact smaller, independent practices and we've pushed back where we've had concerns," Williams said.

Clive Di Giorgio says he was quoted thousands of pounds for cancer treatment his dog Louis didn't need

One person hoping for a cheaper and more transparent market for vet services is Clive Di Giorgio, who contacted BBC Your Voice.

He says he was quoted thousands of pounds for treatment after a vet told him that a rash on his dog Louis' back was "definitely" a sign of cancer.

But after visiting a different vet surgery, he says he was told Louis' rash was not cancerous.

A course of steroids, antibiotics, and a spray cleared up the rash in two weeks, Clive says.

"You just don't feel as if when you go to the vets now they're interested in the animal," he says.

"You feel as if all the interest is how much money they can basically squeeze from you."