Why vets will soon have to cap prescriptions and publish treatment costs

• The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced new reforms for veterinary practices, aiming to improve transparency and competition for pet owners.
• These measures, set to begin later this year, include legal obligations for vets to cap prescription fees and publish comprehensive price lists for standard services.
• Prescription fees will be capped at £21 for the first medicine and £12.50 for subsequent ones, addressing concerns over high charges.
• Practices will also be required to provide written estimates for treatments costing £500 or more and clearly display ownership details, especially for large group practices.
• The reforms follow a CMA finding that vet fees have risen at almost twice the rate of inflation, with pet owners often lacking sufficient information on costs and treatment options.

IN FULL

Vets will now have to publish price lists and cap prescription fees by law