British Veterinary Association responds to competition watchdog’s provisional decision and welcomes call for vet practice regulation
15 Oct 2025
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has opened a consultation and published more details on the new requirements which will come into force for vet business later this year.
Whilst we'll formally respond to the draft orders on behalf of members, we’re already pushing back, challenging the CMA to on its approach where we have serious concerns. We know many of you are worried about the negative language and stark design of the proposed client notice about medication and written prescriptions, and in particular, the overly simplistic message that it may be possible to buy medicines significantly cheaper online, which risks further undermining trust between vets and your clients.
While the CMA has listened to us and these versions have been toned down compared with earlier designs we’ve seen, we'll continue to push for a more proportionate and balanced approach that is informative for clients but also fairer to vets. Don't forget, you can have your say by sharing your views directly through the consultation.
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