Vets’ prescription fees to be capped at £21 as watchdog forces transparency
As of 10: 00 ET on March 24, 2026: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has ordered changes that will cap written prescription fees charged by vets and force greater price transparency across the UK to tackle rapidly rising costs. Vets will face a cap of £21 for the first written medicine and £12. 50 for any additional medicines, and practices will have to publish comprehensive price lists and ownership details. The CMA says the package is designed to boost competition and give pet owners clearer choices.
What the CMA is imposing on vets
The CMA’s reforms include a cap on written prescription fees set at £21 for the first medicine and £12. 50 for additional medicines, ending the previous uncapped fees. Practices must publish comprehensive price lists for standard services, covering consultations, common procedures and cremation options, and must disclose whether they are part of a large group or an independent business. For treatments expected to cost £500 or more, pet owners must be provided with a written estimate in advance — including aftercare costs — and receive an itemised bill, with emergencies the only exception. Price and ownership information will be made available through the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Find a Vet service, which will share the data with third-party comparison sites to help consumers compare local practices.
Immediate reactions and expert voices
Martin Coleman, chair of the independent Inquiry Group, said: “Today’s reforms will make a real difference to the millions of pet owners who want the best for their pets but struggle to find the practice, treatment and price that meets their needs. Too often, people are left in the dark about who owns their practice, treatment options and prices – even when facing bills running into thousands of pounds. Our measures mean it will be made clear to pet owners which practices are part of large groups, which are charging higher prices, and for the first time, vet businesses will be held to account by an independent regulator. “
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) said the measures “will help pet owners make more informed choices” while noting that vet practices had not been immune to rising prices.
Scale of the issue and expected impact
The CMA’s investigation found prices in the sector had been rising at nearly twice the rate of inflation. It also found more than 70% of pet owners bought long-term medication from their own practice even though many could save about £200 a year or more by looking online. The watchdog highlighted that roughly 60% of UK households own a pet and that the veterinary sector is worth more than £6. 7bn. The CMA is backing proposed government reforms to veterinary law that would make businesses as well as individuals accountable to an independent regulator.
What comes next
The CMA said the reforms will start to come into force later this year, with price caps, mandatory price lists and clearer ownership information rolled out to give consumers better tools to compare practices and prices. Regulators, practices and trade bodies will be expected to implement the changes and to feed data into the Find a Vet service to power comparison tools. Officials and the sector will likely monitor whether the caps and transparency measures reduce costs and improve competition over the months after implementation.
