Vets throughout the UK will no longer be able to charge pet owners for writing a prescription following a DTI report recommending the banning of the practice, as part of a major review of vets procedures being undertaken by the Competition Commission.



As a result of the change in legislation last year, pet owners throughout the U.K. are able to purchase drugs and medicines for their animals at up to 50% less than charged by vets by using on-line services. However, Vets retaliated by charging up to £25 for writing out a prescription, Complaints then rolled in about vets charging so much. The DTI have now acted on this news and banned the practice of charging for writing prescriptions as from the 31st October 2005

>The DTI have now acted on this news and banned the practice of charging for writing prescriptions as from the >31st October 2005

But vets have instead been told they can increase the consultation fees to make up for the loss.......

:-(  Thanks Goldmali i didn't know about this, i received the email in my first post today, so i doubt they know either :-(
If they cant get your money one way they'll try another way wont they lol :-)

Yes it's a shame isn't it. :( I was actually told this by a vet -apparenty the vets complained that writing presriptions would cost them money because of ink and paper used (!!) so they were told they can increase consultation fees instead....

Can't say I blame them either - after all, they are running a business :)

It will be interesting to see how this maps out.  If they're only talking about ink and paper, the consultancy increases should be very small and I hope they get clobbered if they try to put them up too much (wouldn't you have thought that an acceptable level of consultancy fee increases for this purpose should have been covered under this act???)  It is also worth noting that these new rules are for a period of 3 years - according to my vet's receptionist last week, "it will then revert back again"!!!  If this is true, you can bet the consultancy fees won't reduce again so people could be even more worse off :-(

I can't understand how the DTI can expect them to do this for free it is not just pen and paper but a professional opinion that the drug is appropriate use for the appropriate individual if that is not the case then there is no need for the drug to be prescription only it may as well be over the counter.  I think it would have been much fairer to all concerned if a fixed fee had been set.

I agree with you when we're talking about the first time a drug is prescribed but I would imagine these new rules are meant to help people whose animals are on permanent or long term medication and need constant repeat prescriptions.  Having said that, it probably would have been much more simple to set a flat fee as you say.  Maybe if vets' charges for drugs had been more reasonable, people would have had no wish to shop elsewhere anyway as it must be more convenient to just collect the drugs from the vets, rather than collect a prescription and have to shop elsewhere for the drugs? 

6 months later a medication or dosage may longer be appropriate so you will be seeking their opinion again that it is still the case.

Surely the giving of an opinion is covered by the consultation fee?  after all that is what you're doing - consulting their expertise and being given their opinion, I fail to see how writing a prescription could possibly cost more than a few pence on top ;) 

But then I'm the sort of person who is mystified by having to pay the vet consultation fee and DOUBLE the product price for something I can get over the counter without a prescription ;)

I don't think many vets would charge for a repeat prescription and a consultation fee. 
Veterinary pharmacists will have very different overheads operating generally from a warehouse with few trained staff, no laboratory or diagnostic equipment and turning over large quantities of the limited range of popular drugs that they will be stocking.  Of course people have the choice to opt for these alternatives, and I must admit I buy my wormers from such a supplier, but vets have businesses to run and the losses from this side of the business will be made up by higher fees for other services.  Therefore all of us end up supporting the profits of two businesses instead of one so it doesn't take much business accumen to realise the end result is a bigger cost to us :)

I work at a vets- we dont charge at all for a prescription, and clients can call us and just order their repeat med for their pet- and as long as the animal can still have the med- all we do is get the prescription together and leave in pharmacy for     them to collect. We charge for the cost of the drugs and thats all- obviously charge a huge mark up though! all vets do...

I also work at a vets and becuase of the new legislation we reduced the mark up on the meds but now charge a vet authorisation fee on repeat prescription where the vet isn't seen (which is about 6 pounds  inc vat!) Vets have been told that they can still charge for their time checking and dispensing meds. THe old dispensing fee was about £3, so its actually more expensive for someone with just drug although cheaper for someone with more than 2. Vets have got to make their money somewhere i suppose.