The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its provisional decision report following a year-long investigation into the UK market for veterinary services for household pets. The review, which began in 2023, explores how veterinary services operate and whether consumers are getting fair value and choice when it comes to their pets’ healthcare.
The CMA’s findings highlight several areas where competition may not be working as effectively as it could. These include the way veterinary medicines are priced and supplied, the degree of transparency offered to pet owners, and how easily consumers can compare costs or obtain prescriptions for their animals.
According to the report, while pet owners can in theory buy prescription medicines from third-party suppliers such as online pharmacies, only a small proportion currently do so. The CMA found that just 16% of pet owners purchased their most recent veterinary medicine from a third-party retailer, with most continuing to buy directly from their vet practice. It also noted that price information for medicines is not always easy to access, and fewer than four in ten owners are aware they can request a written prescription from their vet.
To address the issues identified, the CMA has set out a series of provisional remedies designed to increase transparency and improve consumer awareness. These include requiring veterinary practices to:
- Provide clear information before and during consultations about the right to request a written prescription;
- Display medicine prices online and in-practice; and
- Make written prescriptions available digitally or in hard copy the same day.
The CMA is also proposing a price cap of £16 for issuing written prescriptions and recommending clearer labelling on own-brand medicines to ensure pet owners can compare branded and generic alternatives.
Other recommendations aim to make it easier for pet owners to use authorised online pharmacies and to ensure repeat prescriptions default to written form unless otherwise agreed.
There is also a push towards greater transparency around parasiticide pricing. As these products are commonly included within veterinary care plans, the CMA recommends that practices publish the prices of their preferred parasiticide treatments online, along with a link to the RCVS list of authorised online pharmacies, to help pet owners compare costs more easily.
Whilst it should be clear that many routine flea, tick and worming treatments can still be purchased directly from pet shops and stores without a veterinary prescription, the CMA’s investigation in this instance has been focused specifically on prescription-only medicines and the way these are supplied through veterinary practices and authorised pharmacies.
The CMA’s consultation on these provisional findings closed on 12 November 2025, and the authority has stated that it will consider all feedback before issuing its final decision in 2026.
As a supplier of pet-healthcare products to retailers across the UK, Johnsons Veterinary Products is following these developments with interest. Any changes that influence the way pet owners access and purchase medicines may, in time, shape the broader landscape in which retailers operate. JVP will continue to monitor the progress of the CMA’s investigation and share key updates relevant to the pet-care sector.
For a full summary of the CMA’s findings, see the BBC’s coverage of the investigation.
