A written prescription is your key to saving money on pet medication. By law, your vet must offer you a written prescription for any POM-V (prescription-only veterinary) medication, allowing you to buy the medication from any pharmacy — including online pharmacies where prices are often 40–70% cheaper.
Prescription Fee Costs
- Typical range: £10–£30 per prescription
- Most common fee: £15–£20
- Some practices: £25–£30 (usually corporate groups)
A single prescription can cover multiple medications and typically lasts 6 months, so you only need 2 prescriptions per year for ongoing medication.
CMA Prescription Fee Reforms
The CMA's provisional decision (October 2025) specifically addressed prescription fees. The CMA found that some practices were charging excessive prescription fees to discourage owners from buying medication elsewhere. Proposed reforms include:
- Capping the prescription fee at a reasonable level (the exact cap is still being determined)
- Requiring practices to proactively offer prescriptions rather than waiting for owners to ask
- Displaying prescription fees prominently alongside medication prices
Your Legal Rights
Under the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, your vet must provide a written prescription if you request one. They cannot refuse, and they cannot insist you buy the medication from them as a condition of treatment. They can charge a reasonable fee for the prescription.
If a vet refuses to provide a prescription, you can report them to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).
How Much Can You Save?
The savings from buying medication online versus at the vet can be substantial:
- Metacam 100ml: Around £28 online vs £50–£70 at the vet (save £22–£42)
- NexGard Spectra (3 pack): Around £30 online vs £45–£60 at the vet (save £15–£30)
- Felimazole 100 tablets: Around £35 online vs £55–£75 at the vet (save £20–£40)
Even after paying a £15 prescription fee, buying online typically saves £20–£50 per medication per fill. For pets on multiple long-term medications, the annual savings can be hundreds of pounds.
How to Get and Use a Prescription
- Ask your vet for a written prescription at your next appointment
- The prescription will list the medication, dose, and duration
- Take it to an online pharmacy (such as VetUK, Animed Direct, or Pet Drugs Online) or a local dispensing pharmacy
- The pharmacy fills the prescription and posts the medication to you
Compare medication prices across pharmacies using VetCost's medication comparison tool.
Last updated: March 2026. Sources: CMA provisional decision (October 2025), Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013, VetCost data.