Pharmacy2U Pet Health supports the final reforms of the CMA Veterinary Market Investigation

Pharmacy2U today (24th March 2026) champions the final outcomes of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation into competition concerns in veterinary services for household pets. 

The investigation, which we welcomed the provisional results of in October 2025, shows that many pet owners could be paying more than necessary for commonly prescribed medicines. The CMA found that commonly prescribed medicines are typically priced around 50% to 60% lower at online pharmacies than at first-opinion practices. The CMA estimated that many pet owners could save around £200 to £300 a year on average, even after associated fees. 

Only 57% of pet owners knew they could request a written prescription, while 69% had either not tried to compare medicine prices or had tried but could not find the necessary information, with most purchasing long-term medicine directly from their vet practice. 

The CMA’s investigation revealed that there are competition concerns in the £6.7 billion UK veterinary market, affecting pet owners’ choices and access to fair pricing. They found that there is a lack of price transparency, with fewer than 40% of practices listing prices on their websites, and pet owners unable to compare prices. Owners often do not receive pricing information in advance for non-routine treatment, and the final reforms require written estimates for treatment expected to cost £500 or more. 

The investigation also showed a lack of awareness of whether vet practices were part of chains, while some pet care plans may not deliver the short-term savings subscribers might expect. There were high prices and a lack of clarity around pet cremation, and the CMA identified weaknesses in complaints handling. 

This comes against a backdrop of vet prices rising by 63% between 2016 and 2023, which is twice the rate of inflation (31.3%, according to the Bank of England) in that period. 

All of which means that some of the six large groups are earning profits significantly higher than expected in a well-functioning market. Martin Coleman, Chair of the independent Inquiry Group, hopes results of the investigation “will make a real difference to the millions of pet owners who want the best for their pets but struggle to find the practice, treatment and price that meets their needs.”

Pharmacy2U Pet Health


Pharmacy2U Pet Health was launched to make pet healthcare simpler and more affordable for owners. We are an independent veterinary pharmacy, and our 100,000 pet owners have access to greater choice and fair pricing across our wide range of pet prescription medications, nutrition, supplements, flea and tick treatment, and more, so we actively support the CMA’s decision to make essential treatments accessible and affordable for all.  

Phil Younger, Veterinary Operations Director at Pharmacy2U, said: 

“For a generation of pet owners, the rising cost of visiting the vet has felt unavoidable. Ahead of these major interventions by the CMA, half of owners had no idea that they were potentially overpaying for treatment, and that, in many cases, they could cut costs in half by sourcing medication from a trusted online pet pharmacy.  

“As one of the UK’s most trusted online pharmacies, delivering prescriptions to over 100,000 pet owners across the UK, Pharmacy2U has been campaigning for fairer and more affordable access to animal healthcare for some time. We see today’s decision to inject transparency into the veterinary sector as a roundly positive move that will help millions of people and their pets at a time when it is sorely needed. 

“Some of these changes, like the introduction of a price comparison website, will be a wakeup call for many pet owners, and empower them to make informed choices about where to purchase their prescriptions. It will especially help those paying for repeat prescriptions for animals with chronic conditions, where scheduled home delivery can be a game changer." 

The CMA’s confirmed Veterinary Market Investigation findings


Today, the CMA published the following findings:  

  • Less than 40% of vet practices publish prices online, with not all services listed. 

  • There is no centralised place for price comparison. 

  • Fewer than half of people using a large group knew their practice was part of a chain. 

  • Fewer than half of owners needing non-routine treatment received pricing information in advance, with only 29% receiving it in writing. 

  • Over 70% of owners with repeat prescriptions / ongoing medication buy long-term medicine from their practice, but many could save over £200 a year online. 

  • Some owners are currently being overcharged for written prescriptions, with some practices charging over £30 per prescription. 

  • If customers don’t use all or most services of a pet plan, it may not represent good value for owners who do not use many of the included services. 

  • Pet owners could be paying £100 more for individual cremations than if there was fair, strong price competition. 

  • The CMA identified weaknesses in complaints handling and has introduced minimum complaints-process requirements and mediation.

Final reform next steps


Based on its findings, the CMA has determined that the following changes will be made: 

  • Practices must publish prices for a defined list of standard services, including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions, and cremation options. 

  • Price and ownership information will be available to customers through a ‘Find a Vet’ service, which will also share the data with third-party comparison sites. 

  • Vet businesses must make their ownership status clear, identifying whether they are independent or part of a larger group and displaying this on signage, at the premises, and online. 

  • Practices must provide a written estimate and itemised bill in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more including VAT, including aftercare costs, with emergencies the only exception. 

  • Practices must tell pet owners a written prescription is available and that medicines may be cheaper elsewhere. 

  • Written prescription fees are capped at £21 for the first medicine and £12.50 for any additional medicines, inclusive of VAT. 

  • There must be written policies in place to ensure vets at practices are empowered to offer impartial and independent advice. 

  • Pet plans must clearly detail the price of each service, the total cost, and how advertised savings are calculated. 

  • Practices must provide clear prices upfront for all cremation options, including any add-ons, and offer the lower cost option of a communal cremation. 

  • Practices must follow an in-house complaints process that is accessible and transparent, and they must engage in mediation when disputes cannot be resolved. 

This report marks the end of the investigation, with the next steps being a 6-month period for the CMA to place legally binding Orders on businesses. The above remedies will then be put in place over the following 3 to 12 months, with smaller businesses getting longer to implement the changes in most cases.  

You can find a full timeline here. 

In the meantime, Pharmacy2U will proudly continue to deliver our outstanding Pet Health service to over 100,000 pet owners, committed to our aims of making pet healthcare simpler, fairer, and more affordable for owners across the country.  

You can visit the Pet Health section of our site here, or learn more about the CMA here.