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Vets may face cap on price of medicines after investigation
The Guardian
|October 16, 2025
Vets in the UK could be forced to cap prescription prices after an investigation by the markets watchdog found pet owners may be paying twice as much for common medicines from practices than online.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found pet owners paid 16.6% more on average at large vet groups than at independent practices. It said the £6.3bn market was not fit for purpose and needed to be modernised.
The watchdog has proposed 21 measures, including making vet businesses cap the cost of providing prescriptions at £16; publish comprehensive price lists; make clear if they are part of a large group; and ensure that their policies and processes allow vets to act in the best interests of pets and pet owners.
The CMA advised clear price information on treatments and cremations, with prices in writing for treatments costing more than £500 and itemised bills, and pricing breakdowns for pet care plans. It also proposed creating a comprehensive price comparison website.
The CMA said prices increased by 63% between 2016 and 2023, considerably faster than general inflation.
This story is from the October 16, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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