Vet Price Lists and Fee Caps: UK Pet Owner Guide

New rules on vet pricing are now law in the UK, but most of them arrive in stages. Larger vet groups must start publishing standard prices from late December 2026. Written prescription fees are capped from March 2027 for those groups, and smaller practices get a few extra months for most duties. As of October 2026, your own vet has not been required to change anything yet, so it is worth knowing what to ask for now.

Why the rules changed

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) looked into the market for household pet vet services and found that owners often could not compare costs before they were charged. In its final report, published on 24 March 2026, it set out a package of changes. The CMA’s own press release describes the main aims: clearer prices, fair prescription costs and more open complaints handling.

The package was then written into the Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026, which was made in September 2026. You can read the Order itself on GOV.UK .

When each change applies

The rules are split by size. “Larger” businesses are those with 15 or more first-opinion practices (FOPs), which are the practices where you would normally take your pet. Anything smaller counts as “smaller”. The GOV.UK guidance for vet businesses gives these dates:

The Find a Vet service is also changing. The RCVS, the body that regulates vets, must update it by June 2027, and businesses must send it their key information by September 2027.

What a standard price list should show

Once the duty applies, a practice must publish a price list for a defined set of common services, including VAT. The guidance says the list must be no more than one click from the practice website’s homepage, and it must also be displayed at reception or in the waiting area. Services include consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation.

Other details must also be published:

• Parasiticide prices. These are flea, tick and worm products. The list covers products sold at least 100 units in the previous 12 months. If fewer than 10 products meet that test, the top 10 are listed. The list must link to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate register of online retailers.
• Pet care plans. The price of each part of the plan, the total cost, and how any advertised saving is calculated must be shown.
• Practice information. This includes out-of-hours arrangements and staff qualifications.
• Group ownership. Practices must show whether they belong to a large group, on signs, at the premises and online.

Prescription fees and buying medicine elsewhere

The Order caps written prescription fees at £21.40 for the first medicine in a consultation and £12.70 for each additional medicine. Both figures include VAT. From 1 April 2028 the caps can rise in line with inflation.

A note on the numbers: the CMA’s March 2026 press release gave £21 and £12.50. The Order text sets the higher figures above, so use those. Check your practice’s fee before you pay, because the cap is a ceiling, not a fixed price.

You can ask your vet for a written prescription and then buy the medicine from another supplier. The RCVS guidance on prescription medication sets out a few points:

• Your vet can charge a reasonable fee for writing the prescription.
• If you buy elsewhere, the vet must not charge you more for other goods or services than they would charge a client who buys the medicine from the practice.
• If you buy online, use a retailer in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate Accredited Internet Retailer Scheme.
• Some parasite treatments need an examination first, which is often done at a routine appointment.
• In an emergency, sourcing medicine elsewhere may not be practical.

Estimates and bills for larger treatments

For any treatment likely to cost £500 or more including VAT, the practice must give you a written estimate. If the cost is likely to rise by 20% or £500, whichever is lower, you should get a further written update. The CMA says the estimate duty does not apply in emergencies. The itemised bill must show medicines separately from other goods and services, and must show any outside service fees.

A simple checklist before a costly visit

1. Ask for the price of the consultation and of any likely tests.
2. Ask whether the practice belongs to a large group.
3. For anything expected to cost £500 or more, ask for a written estimate. Once the duty applies, it is a right.
4. If a prescription is needed, ask the fee, then decide whether to buy the medicine there or elsewhere.
5. Check the itemised bill against what you were told.
6. If you disagree with a charge, ask the practice for its complaints process. Practices must run a transparent one and use mediation for unresolved disputes.

What to do next

Keep an eye on your practice’s website from late December 2026, when the first price lists are due for larger groups. If your practice is a small independent, expect its lists about three months later.

This site offers general pet-care information only. For advice about your own animal, speak to your local vet, who can look at your pet and talk through the options.

Key points

• Larger vet groups must publish standard prices from December 2026. Smaller practices follow in March 2027.
• Prescription fees are capped at £21.40 for the first medicine and £12.70 for each extra one, including VAT, under the Order.
• You can ask for a written prescription and buy the medicine elsewhere.
• Written estimates are due for treatments expected to cost £500 or more, with some exceptions.
• These dates are as of October 2026 and may be updated, so check the GOV.UK pages before you rely on them.

FAQ

Do these rules apply now? Not in full. The Order is in force, but the main duties have compliance dates from December 2026 to September 2027, depending on the size of the business.

Will my vet have to give me a written prescription? You can ask for one. The RCVS guidance says your vet can charge a reasonable fee for it, and the fee can differ between practices.

Do the price lists include emergency care? The price list covers a defined set of standard services. The written estimate duty does not apply in emergencies, so ask about the cost of urgent care when you can.

Do smaller practices have to follow the same rules? Yes, but they get more time. Most of their duties start in March 2027, and prescription fee caps start in September 2027.

Does this apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland? The GOV.UK guidance says the prescription fee caps apply across the UK. I did not check how each of the other duties applies in every nation, so check the GOV.UK page for the current position.

What if my vet refuses to give a written prescription? The RCVS guidance does not say a vet must always provide one. Ask the practice to explain its policy, and take the question to the complaints process if you are not satisfied.