Repeat Prescriptions – Long term medications

From September 2023 there are new regulations which govern how vets can prescribe medications in the UK.

Each time you make a request for any medication other than parasite control, we will ask you to complete a short questionaire telling us how your pet is getting on. This is so the vet can make a clinical assessment and ensure the medication we are prescribing is still appropriate.

For all long term repeat prescription medications, your pet will need to have a physical exam by a vet every 6 months.

The regulation changes particularly affect those medications which treat and prevent infections. The UK Government is concerned about the overuse of antibiotics and the very real risk of antibiotic resistance resulting in humans having infections which can no longer be treated. Since vets use many of the same antibiotics as human doctors, we also have a responsibility to be careful about when these medications are prescribed.

We are no longer allowed to dispense antibiotics without examining the patient at the time. This means we can not dispense repeat prescriptions of most ear, eye and skin creams or antibiotic tablets without a vet consultation. Even if it is an ongoing condition and your pet has had the antibiotic cream or eye drop multiple times before, these new regulations mean that we will not be able to give out the treatment as a repeat prescription. There will be a standard consult fee for this appointment and assessment by the vet.

These new regulations mean that you may have to bring your pet in to see the vet more frequently than previously if they need ongoing prescription medication. We understand that this will result in extra costs for you in regards both time and money. These new rules affect all veterinary practices in the UK and are subject to close inspection by our governing body the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. We thank you for your understanding in us complying with these changes.