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Vets could begin charging for prescriptions this October
brenda_p_a
Posts: 411 Forumite
Many pet owners don't know that:
The moratorium on vets not charging for prescriptions ends this October!
That could mean we may go back to the old days when Vets charged pet owners as much as £15.00 to write a prescription.
Please support our challenge to the Government to stop these charges coming back. Opticians are forced to offer a free prescription –Why not Vets???
Click Here to sign the petition...Deadline to sign up by: 08 August 2008
Dont forget to validate your signature by clicking the link in the email you will get
The moratorium on vets not charging for prescriptions ends this October!
That could mean we may go back to the old days when Vets charged pet owners as much as £15.00 to write a prescription.
Please support our challenge to the Government to stop these charges coming back. Opticians are forced to offer a free prescription –Why not Vets???
Click Here to sign the petition...Deadline to sign up by: 08 August 2008
Dont forget to validate your signature by clicking the link in the email you will get
If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
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Comments
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It has not been decided whether the 3 year trial into free prescriptions will end this October. It is still under consideration by the Office of Fair Trading and presumably DEFRA. If any decision has been made, they haven't told the vets yet. Second point, why shouldn't vets charge for the time they take to produce a written prescription. £15 is a bit expensive but why not a fiver? Doctors charge you for a private prescription.0
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Excuse my ignorance, but does that mean when I visit the vet with my dog/s we'll be charged the consultation fee, prescription fee and for the drugs?
You cannot live as I have lived an not end up like me.
Oi you lot - please
GIVE BLOOD - you never know when you and yours might need it back! 67 pints so far.
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i think it means if you dont want to buy the medicatition through the vets then they will charge you £15 for the presciption (kinda like the doctor does for a sick note )
im sure someone will correct me if im wrong. xnow proud mum to 3 handsome boys :j latest one born 10/10/11:j0 -
It has not been decided whether the 3 year trial into free prescriptions will end this October. It is still under consideration by the Office of Fair Trading and presumably DEFRA. If any decision has been made, they haven't told the vets yet. Second point, why shouldn't vets charge for the time they take to produce a written prescription. £15 is a bit expensive but why not a fiver? Doctors charge you for a private prescription.
Firstly,in 2003 the law changed to allow pharmacies to dispense vetinary medications. The purpose of this was to create competition in the market with the aim of reducing pet medication prices for members of the public.
In October 2005 the law changed again to prevent vets from charging their customers for providing prescriptions and allowed other vetinary surgeons to dispense vetinary medicines. click here to read
The competition for prices of medication means we can shop around online to find the cheapest supplier,we do not want that taken away from us by vets charging again for the prescriptionIf you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer0 -
There were a number of laws introduced in October 2005 to tighten up legislation regarding animal medications. The free prescriptions was a 3 year trial and there has been no indication whether this will be continued. The stated aim was to provide competition into the market and if the OFT decides that has been achieved the free prescription rule will be lifted but from the veterinary press, no decision has yet been made. The other aim of the OFT was to reduce the proportion of vets bills related to medicines and to encourage vets to charge properly for their professional time ie we should charge more for consultations and operations and less for medications. Ultimately, if the on-line pharmacies take too much money away from vets, prices elsewhere will go up and the costs will be greater for the pet owner / farmer.
Pharmacies have always been able to dispense prescriptions but prior to the last few years this has been human drugs and not vet ones. Legally, the drug manufacturers have to supply pharmacies on the same terms as vets for the quantity sold. What changed is that vets can now dispense prescriptions from other vets and as a result, from April 2009, all vets dispensing medications will have to be on a separate register.
The other regulations (eg frequency of checks, criminal offence to supply a non-veterinary product if a veterinary one exists etc) have been reviewed and changed each October and I suspect we will hear closer to the time. Personally, I have never charged for prescriptions and currently have only 1 animal on medications requiring prescriptions. We will always try to price match if possible but most of my clients prefer the higher quality service we offer. We can't compete on price with the internet pharmacies, they often sell below cost and use manufacturers discounts based on bulk to make a profit. Your smaller vet practice can't compete with that so we have to offer a better service.0 -
Can my vet insist that I purchase medication from him?
All vets must offer clients a written prescription at the time of prescribing medication. The legal changes in 2005 are designed to ensure all customer have a choice regarding where they purchase medication.
Your vet may apply an administration fee to written prescriptions but this must apply to all medication - ie they must also charge this fee to clients who purchase their medication from them
http://www.petmeds.co.uk/t-help_faq.aspx#vetinsistIf you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer0 -
Your vet cannot insist that you purchase medication from them with the following exceptions:
1. Emergency treatment - obviously
2. Injectable drugs where only a short course is given - pharmacies must sell you the entire bottle, they are not able to split bottles - this wont come up too often but if your dog needs a couple of injections, the vet will probably have to do it
3. Vaccinations - (this is open to a little interpretation) although a vaccine can be given by anyone, only a vet or registered vet nurse (RVN) can legally sign a vaccination certificate. The RSPCA vaccination cards state that it is not a full, legal vaccine card as it is just RSPCA staff that signed it, not a vet. Only a vet can give a Rabies vaccine for a pet passport
The administration fee has been variously called "Medicine Decision Fee", "Medication Fee" and is used by some vets to charge for their time in deciding a medication or dose but this must be charged to everyone, including as I interpret, any injections given. This is a dodgy territory and I didn't like this idea when it came out and still dont. I have never charged this fee and have no intention of charging it.0 -
The Government is committed to delivering free and fair markets, with greater competition, for businesses, consumers and employees.
That is why the Government introduced the Supply of Veterinary Medicinal Products Order in 2005 to create a market for veterinary medicines away from veterinary surgeries. The Order was introduced following a Competition Commission report which found that the veterinary profession tended to understate the true cost of their professional services and offset this in their medicines pricing. This practice can allow two detrimental effects:
· Veterinary surgeons can hide excess profits in drug prices; and
· Inadequate pressure on manufacturers to maintain competitive drug prices.
The Competition Commission felt strongly that a three-year moratorium on prescription charges was essential to allow animal owners to become used to the availability of free prescriptions and encourage them to shop around. The availability of prescriptions was seen as the key element in opening up the prescription-only veterinary medicines market, increasing competitive pressure and driving prices down. High prescription charges had been a barrier to customers doing this in the past, but the three-year prohibition would kick-start the market.
The independent Office of Fair Trading (OFT) will be monitoring developments after the prohibition on charging for providing prescriptions comes to an end in October 2008 and will consider when and whether any further regulatory action may be needed to ensure effective competition in the supply of veterinary medicines.
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page16942If you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer0 -
My vets have just informed me that they will be charging £3.95 per prescription after the 31st October......even then I will still save a lot by using internet pharmacies as the cats tablets(felimazole) are £25 (inc) odd online and £42 plus vat at the vets......big difference.0
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My vets have just informed me that they will be charging £3.95 per prescription after the 31st October......even then I will still save a lot by using internet pharmacies as the cats tablets(felimazole) are £25 (inc) odd online and £42 plus vat at the vets......big difference.
Thats up to him/her but they must charge everyone the same if they have a fee for just a prescription paper
ie they must also charge this fee to clients who purchase their medication from themIf you board the wrong train, it is no use running along the corridor in the other direction.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer0
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