The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has welcomed the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) review into veterinary services for household pets.
On Tuesday (24 March), the CMA concluded that vet practices should publish price lists and tell clients they may be able to find medicines cheaper elsewhere, and must make it clear if they are an independent business or part of a group.
The CMA reforms include a cap on prescription fees, written estimates will need to be provided for treatment expected to cost more than £500, except for emergencies, and the industry will be required to set up a price comparison website, which the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) will take on.
The CMA is expected to put orders in place by 23 September and businesses are likely to have a few months to implement changes.
H&H asked BEVA what the review means for equine vets and practices and was told that the obligation is only for vets treating household pets, but in reality, “there will be inevitable crossover into other types of practice, even if only as a result of changing client expectations”.
BEVA veterinary projects officer Lucy Grieve told H&H BEVA “welcomes the CMA’s review and supports its aim of improving transparency, consumer confidence, and animal welfare”.
“We agree that clearer client information and proportionate business regulation are important,” she said.
“It is essential that the distinct, largely ambulatory and time-critical nature of equine practice is recognised.
“Measures such as standardised pricing and written estimates must be applied flexibly to remain practical.
“BEVA supports proportionate, risk-based regulation and will continue to work with government and regulators to ensure reforms are workable and deliver positive outcomes across all sectors, including equine practice.”
She said the “bottom line” for BEVA members is that nothing is legally enforced yet, but expectations have already changed.
She added that the key points over the next year are that practices that prepare early will be in a stronger position and that the biggest immediate shifts are more transparent conversations, more pressure on medicine pricing and early moves towards structured pricing and documentation.
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) senior vice president Linda Belton, said the RCVS is “glad that, in developing this final package of remedies for the sector, the CMA has listened to feedback from the college and others”.
Alan Hough, owner of independent Celtic Equine Vets, told H&H he is a bit disappointed with the outcome.
He said the review was an opportunity for the CMA to have more involvement with the corporatisation of the profession and that he does not believe the reforms will reduce veterinary costs particularly.
“They’re requiring practices to put prices on websites, provide estimates for treatment and offer prescriptions for medications – if you speak to most vets working in good, reputable practices, we do that anyway,” he said.
He added that this is good in terms of transparency – while noting that his practice already provides prescriptions on request and has had prices on its website for years – and said that the cap on prescription fees “is not going to make a huge difference” to the cost of treatment.
Highlighting the scope of certain big corporations, he said that in some cases, those that own veterinary practices also own labs, crematoriums, insurance companies and online pharmacies, and said that “nothing in this report has said that they need to divest”. Nor has it said that they cannot have controlling elements in certain areas where they have a monopoly.
“Unfortunately, the CMA hasn’t dealt with any of that, which is a bit disappointing. They have said that corporate-owned practices must clearly signpost who owns them – that’s welcome, that’s long overdue. I think that will have a positive outcome,” he said.
But he cautioned that the outcome might be that vets’ fees increase.
“In any business, you need to have operating revenue, and in veterinary, some of that comes from professional fees, but quite a significant portion comes from drug sales. If it’s mandated that you must encourage clients to seek that medication elsewhere, you’re going to have less operating revenue in that business,” he said. “So the only way that you’re going to make enough money to operate the business is to put up your professional fees.”
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