New price cap on pet prescriptions - benefit to pet owners

[Maz]

This was in the news today. Sounds positive!

"Pet owners will pay a maximum of £21 for their first prescription and £12.50 for any other medicines within the same consultation under the changes.

It comes after the CMA found some were being overcharged for commonly prescribed medicines from vet practices."

Pet owners to pay no more than £21 for prescriptions after major investigation | Money blog

Pet owners won't have to pay more than £21 for prescriptions after a major investigation by the competition watchdog. Read this, the rest of today's consumer and personal finance news and our latest Money Problem below - and leave your thoughts in the box.

news.sky.com

 

[Socks' Mum]

Yes, read with great interest

 

[Socks' Mum]

Not having insurance, I wouldn't know, but I wonder if there is a coordination between fees and insurance cover. Otherwise it's all a bit unpredictable. Interesting that EU countries don't suffer the way UK pet owners do.

 

[Maz]

I don't have insurance either but I do think vets charge higher prices for some meds than they actually cost - adding a percentage to cover overheads perhaps. However I suspect some might just bump general vet fees up if there's a cap on what they can charge for medication. It seems to be more for larger pets who get a lot more medication prescriptions. There are very limited meds prescribed for hamsters.

 

[Socks' Mum]

I don't have insurance either but I do think vets charge higher prices for some meds than they actually cost - adding a percentage to cover overheads perhaps. However I suspect some might just bump general vet fees up if there's a cap on what they can charge for medication. It seems to be more for larger pets who get a lot more medication prescriptions. There are very limited meds prescribed for hamsters.

I wonder if big pharma is a factor in costs.

 

[Maz]

I'm not sure - you can see the costs for most meds at online pharmacies (but need a prescription - you can't just buy it there) and they do tend to be less than vets charge.

 

[Socks' Mum]

I'm not sure - you can see the costs for most meds at online pharmacies (but need a prescription - you can't just buy it there) and they do tend to be less than vets charge.

Yikes, yes introducing prescriptions is a good idea.

 

[Socks' Mum]

Yikes, yes introducing prescriptions is a good idea.

Although, as you say, rodent sized bottles tend not to cost that much.

 

[Maz]

You don't need a prescription if the vet dispenses it. You can ask for a prescription and get it direct from a vet pharmacy but the vets can then charge for a prescription! So I do think vets make a mark-up on the meds - as part of their business model.

 

[Socks' Mum]

You don't need a prescription if the vet dispenses it. You can ask for a prescription and get it direct from a vet pharmacy but the vets can then charge for a prescription! So I do think vets make a mark-up on the meds - as part of their business model.

But is the difference greater than the prescription? Probably not with rodents

 

[Maz]

Sorry not sure what you mean Cheaper to get it dispensed by the vet than pay for a prescription and buy it, if that's what you mean, but even then the vet price for the meds is higher than the purchase price usually. So the new watchdog thing (law maybe now), means vets are limited as to what they can charge for medications.

 

[Maz]

I see what you mean though, the article mentions both cost of prescriptions and cost of medication. I think it means cost of medicine prescribed and dispensed by the vet though. Not the actual cost of a written prescription to take elsewhere.