British Veterinary Association (BVA) pushes back after Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found pet owners may be paying vets twice online market price for medicines
Vets have pushed back after a watchdog found that pet owners may be paying twice the online market price for medicines - potentially costing them hundreds of extra pounds
The response from the British Veterinary Association (BVA) was raised in response to a report by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Both organisations confirmed that their comments applied to Northern Ireland as well as the rest of the UK.
Vets across the UK could be forced to publish price lists and put a cap on the cost of providing prescriptions, under sweeping changes proposed by the UK’s competition watchdog.
The CMA found that pet owners may be overpaying for medicines and are not being given enough information about their vet and the prices of treatments.
The regulator has been investigating the £6.3 billion veterinary services market over concerns about how it is run.
It found pet owners may be paying twice as much for commonly prescribed medicines from vet practices that they could pay online, amounting to hundreds of pounds extra.
Martin Coleman, chairman of the inquiry group, said: “Pet owners are often left in the dark, not knowing whether their practice is independent or part of a chain or what a fair price looks like.
“They are sometimes committing to expensive treatment without understanding the price in advance.
“And they do not always feel confident asking for a prescription or buying medicine online – even when it could save them hundreds of pounds.
“We are proposing major reforms aimed at bringing about a transformation in the experience of pet owners and empowering them to make the best choices for their circumstances.
Vets could be made to tell pet owners if it is cheaper to buy medicines online and, where it is needed frequently, automatically provide a written prescription that would enable people to buy medicine elsewhere.
They could also be required to cap the price of providing prescriptions at £16, under the proposals.
Sue Davis, head of consumer protection policy at Which?, said the CMA’s proposals “should be implemented as soon as possible to restore consumer confidence in vet services”.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA), which represents more than 19,000 vets across the UK (including Northern Ireland), called for clarity on the proposed introduction of medicine prices lists.
BVA President Dr. Rob Williams welcomed the fact that the CMA recognised that vets are highly professional, and "act ethically, and put animal welfare first".
“However, we do have concerns that some of the measures outlined will impact how services are delivered," he added.
"In particular, we need clarity on the proposed introduction of comprehensive price lists, because how vet care is delivered is varied and complex and unless the CMA gets this right, it could end up creating greater confusion for consumers, which in turn could have a negative impact on animal welfare.”
CVS Group, which runs about 500 vet practices in the UK (including Northern Ireland), said it welcomed the “certainty” the CMA’s plans brings but said it does not believe all its proposals are justified.
The company said it will be working with the CMA to "refine" its recommendations and has plans to publish "standardised price lists".