Prescribing Policy
Veterinary surgeons working in the UK can only dispense, or prescribe, medication following a clinical assessment of the patient. A prescription may not be appropriate for in-patients or where immediate treatment is necessary.
Valley Vets are happy to provide a prescription, rather than medication, to those clients that request them. If obtaining medication online via a prescription, please see the VMD Accredited Pharmacies listed on the following link: http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/InternetRetailers/accredited-retailers.aspx
Written Prescription Fee
- 1st item - £24.00
- Additional item - £16.50 (Per item on the same prescription)
By law, veterinary surgeons have to use / prescribe medications that are licensed for use in animals. We can only use unlicensed (human) products if there is no licensed alternative available to us. Certain medications are available in the human field at considerably lower prices than the licensed veterinary equivalent. This cost differential is there to account for the work that the manufacturers and researchers have undertaken to confirm safety and effectiveness in the various animal species. It is therefore essential and unavoidable.
For those patients on continual medication, a veterinary surgeon must recheck the patient at regular intervals. This is a legal requirement. In most cases, clinical reassessments are done every three months. The frequency of this may seem excessive to some clients, but please remember that in terms of body ageing one year in a dog or cat’s life is equivalent to approximately seven in a human life, so rechecks every three months equate to a doctor checking a human patient for on-going medication every two years or so.
The standard charge for a re-examination is £49.50. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be dispensed for your animal.
