UK vets face crackdown over fees as pet owners ‘left in the dark’ on bills

Prescription fees to be capped at £21 and practices must publish price lists, watchdog says The UK’s competition watchdog has ordered vets to cap prescription fees at £21 and proposed a cost comparison website, after finding consumers had faced huge price rises and been “left in the dark” over bills. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said public satisfaction with the cost of services was “low” after a two-and-a-half-year investigation into the £6.7bn market found “there is not strong competition between veterinary businesses”, with large chains dominant. The watchdog said vets must now tell pet owners that medicines may be cheaper online, and let them know they can get a prescription and that this could save them money. Written prescription fees will be capped at £21 for the first medicine and £12.50 for any additional drugs. It estimates that these measures could save pet owners hundreds of pounds. However, the cap is not as severe on industry as the £16 limit the CMA had previously proposed. Martin Coleman, the chair of the independent inquiry group, said: “Too often, people are left in the dark about who owns their practice, treatment options and