---
title: "Vet Prescription Fees & Online Pharmacies UK"
description: "Ask for a written prescription and buy POM-V medicines from a VMD-accredited shop. CMA cap: £21 then £12.50 incl. VAT — large groups from March 2027."
url: "https://pethealth.org.uk/health/vet-prescription-fee-cap-online-pharmacies-uk"
canonical: "https://pethealth.org.uk/health/vet-prescription-fee-cap-online-pharmacies-uk"
date_published: "2026-08-11"
date_modified: "2026-08-12"
source: "PETHEALTH+"
---

# Vet Prescription Fees & Online Pharmacies UK

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.

## 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](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-concludes-market-investigation-with-major-reforms-to-veterinary-sector), 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](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-veterinary-businesses-and-vets-need-to-do-following-the-cmas-final-vets-report), 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](/health/cma-vet-pricing-transparency-uk)).

## How do you buy online without getting a fake or illegal product?

1. **Get the written prescription** — pet details, medicine name, strength, quantity, directions, vet signature and practice stamp as required
2. **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
3. **Upload the prescription** — a legitimate POM-V seller will not dispense on a screenshot of an Amazon basket
4. **Match the product** — same active ingredient, strength and pharmaceutical form the vet prescribed, unless the vet has agreed a change
5. **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](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/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

- [CMA vet pricing transparency](/health/cma-vet-pricing-transparency-uk)
- [How much does a vet cost?](/health/how-much-does-a-vet-cost-uk)
- [Questions to ask your vet](/health/questions-to-ask-your-vet-uk)
- [Independent vs corporate vets](/health/independent-vs-corporate-vets-uk)

## FAQs

### 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.

## Sources

- [CMA — Concludes market investigation with major reforms (24 March 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-concludes-market-investigation-with-major-reforms-to-veterinary-sector)
- [GOV.UK — What veterinary businesses need to do following the CMA final report](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-veterinary-businesses-and-vets-need-to-do-following-the-cmas-final-vets-report)
- [RCVS — Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons](https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/code-of-professional-conduct-for-veterinary-surgeons/)
- [VMD — Retail of veterinary medicines](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/retail-of-veterinary-medicines)

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Last modified: 2026-08-12