Pet Care
Vet Prescription Fees & Online Pharmacies UK
Published Last updated 6 min read
Quick answer
You can ask your vet for a written prescription and buy POM-V medicines from a VMD-accredited online retailer. The CMA's March 2026 remedies cap prescription fees at £21 then £12.50 including VAT (first medicine, then extras in the same consult) — large businesses from March 2027, after the Order due in September 2026. Collect urgent first doses at the practice. Information only — not a instruction to change your pet's medicine.
Key takeaways
- You can ask your vet for a **written prescription** and buy POM-V medicines from a **VMD-accredited** online retailer.
- The CMA's March 2026 remedies cap prescription fees at **£21 then £12.50 including VAT** (first medicine, then extras in the same consult) — **large businesses from March 2027**, after the Order due in September 2026.
- Collect urgent first doses at the practice.
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Should you buy pet medicines online?
Yes for many repeat, long-term POM-V medicines — flea and worm treatments, thyroid or heart tablets, arthritis anti-inflammatories — once you have a valid written prescription and a VMD-accredited retailer. No as a delay tactic when your pet needs the first dose today.
The CMA's 24 March 2026 news release stated that over 70% of pet owners buy long-term medication from the practice even though many could save £200 a year or more online (CMA news, checked 12 August 2026). That saving is a CMA illustration, not a guarantee for your drug and pack size.
What are your prescription rights today?
POM-V means Prescription Only Medicine — Veterinary. The medicine can only be prescribed by a veterinary surgeon, and the animal should be under their care. You do not have to fill that prescription at the same practice's dispensary.
The RCVS Code requires veterinary surgeons to be open about this option. They should not unreasonably refuse a written prescription when it is clinically appropriate. They may charge for the professional work of writing it. They can refuse if a prescription would not be safe — for example if they need to re-examine the animal first.
Ask during the consult, not a week later when the tablet box is empty. Take a photo of the written prescription and keep the original as the retailer requires.
What is the CMA £21 / £12.50 cap — and when does it bite?
GOV.UK's post-report guidance (Remedy 10) sets the maximum fee for a written prescription at £21 including VAT for the first medicine prescribed within a consultation, and £12.50 including VAT for each additional medicine in the same consultation. Caps apply across the UK with no regional variation, and will be adjusted annually using CPI (GOV.UK guidance, checked 12 August 2026).
| Item | Cap (incl. VAT) | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| First medicine on that consult's written prescription | £21 | Large businesses from March 2027; smaller businesses later in the 2027 window |
| Each extra medicine, same consultation | £12.50 | Same timetable |
| Repeat prescription / dispensing / injection fees | Listed separately on the standard price list | Transparency remedies from December 2026 (larger businesses) |
Until the Order is in force and a practice's deadline has passed, a clinic may still charge more than £21. You can still ask for the fee before they write the script, and compare it with the saving on the pack.
Practices will also have to tell you that a written prescription exists and that medicines may be cheaper elsewhere, and to publish the prescription fee on the standard list (pricing transparency guide).
How do you buy online without getting a fake or illegal product?
- Get the written prescription — pet details, medicine name, strength, quantity, directions, vet signature and practice stamp as required
- Check AIRS — only use a retailer on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme. The AIRS logo is the veterinary equivalent of looking for a registered pharmacy; a human GPhC registration is a different regime
- Upload the prescription — a legitimate POM-V seller will not dispense on a screenshot of an Amazon basket
- Match the product — same active ingredient, strength and pharmaceutical form the vet prescribed, unless the vet has agreed a change
- Store it as labelled — some products are cold-chain; a cheap pack that sat in a van in July is not a saving
GOV.UK's retail of veterinary medicines page is the stable starting point for the current register links (checked 12 August 2026).
When is the practice dispensary the better option?
| Situation | Better source | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First dose after surgery or an infection | Practice | No courier delay; the vet has just examined the animal |
| Unstable epilepsy, toxin, or collapse | Practice / emergency clinic | You need the medicine in hand |
| Stable long-term POM-V, repeats | Accredited online retailer | Pack price often lower; pay the prescription fee once per consult |
| Flea/worm POM-V on a health plan | Compare both | The plan price may already include it — check before you duplicate |
If the online saving after the prescription fee is a few pounds, book the practice and spend the time elsewhere. If it is tens of pounds a month, the CMA's £200-a-year illustration is the sort of gap you are looking at.
Who should skip shopping around?
Skip the online detour when your pet is in pain, not eating, vomiting repeatedly, or needs a medicine the vet wants to see working today. Also skip unaccredited websites, social-media sellers, and imported packs without a UK veterinary prescription. Human pharmacies and comparison sites for NHS medicines are a different legal world — they do not replace VMD AIRS for POM-V.
Related guides
Sources & further reading
Facts in this guide are rewritten in plain English from publicly available UK advice. We name the organisation where a specific point comes from their guidance. Links below go to the original pages — use them to read the source material directly.
PETHEALTH+ is independent. These organisations do not sponsor, approve, or partner with this website. Guidance checked against sources listed below (last updated 2026-08-12).
- CMA Vet Pricing Transparency UK
- How Much Does a Vet Cost in the UK?
- Questions to Ask Your Vet
- Independent vs Corporate Vets in the UK
- Antifreeze Poisoning in Pets UK — Cats & Dogs
- Blue-Green Algae Poisoning in Pets UK
- Compost & Mould Poisoning in Pets UK
- Fireworks & Pet Safety in the UK
Also see symptoms, symptom checker, and poison guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can my vet refuse a written prescription?
- Not as a blanket policy. Under the RCVS Code, a veterinary surgeon should provide a written prescription on request for an animal under their care when it is clinically appropriate. They can refuse if a prescription would not be safe or justified. They may charge a fee for writing it.
- How much will the CMA allow vets to charge for a prescription?
- The March 2026 remedies cap the fee at £21 including VAT for the first medicine prescribed in a consultation, and £12.50 including VAT for each additional medicine in the same consultation. Caps will be adjusted annually for CPI. Large businesses: from March 2027 after the September 2026 Order.
- How do I check an online pet pharmacy is legal?
- Use a retailer on the Veterinary Medicines Directorate Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme (AIRS) list, and look for the AIRS logo. Human GPhC registration is a different regime and does not by itself authorise veterinary POM-V supply.
- Will I always save money online?
- Often on long-term POM-V medicines — the CMA said many owners could save £200 a year or more versus buying at the practice. You still pay the prescription fee, and acute or first doses are usually quicker from the dispensary. Compare the total, not the pack price alone.
- Who should not delay for an online order?
- Anyone whose pet needs the first dose today — post-operative pain relief, infection, seizures, or a toxin case. Collect that supply from the practice, then use a written prescription for repeats if the numbers work.